Fistula Cases Should Get More Attention, Say Experts

Fistula Cases Should Get More Attention, Say Experts

Fistula Cases Should Get More Attention, Say Experts

Though about 100,000 – 150, 000 women
are affected by fistula in Nigeria, there
are 12 new cases every year, early
treatment and management would help.
However, experts urged government and
lawmakers to make policies and
programme that would help eradicate the
health condition.
Zakariya said: “Government needs to do
more by providing resources, necessary
materials, equipment and facilities
including manpower for treatment and
prevention of fistula. It is a gender issue
and those affected have been neglected
for a very long time. Once a woman is
affected, nobody would want to associate
with her because of the offensive odour
emitting from the person.
“Fistula is life shattering for the women,
who experience it. It leaves a woman
with chronic incontinence, which often
results in social isolation. Other
consequences may include frequent
ulcers and infections, like Kidney
disease, possible paralysis, and even
premature death.
A Woman with obstetric fistula usually
has a stillbirth, so she and her family
also experience the loss of a child,” he
stated.
Survivor of traumatic fistula must
endure the physiological trauma and
stigma and may limit liquid and food
intake to stem the symptoms, conditions
that could further damage to the body.
Fistula can also be caused by sexual
violence like rape.
He said women, who suffer from fistula
to know that their condition is
preventable, no matter how long in
isolation.
Meanwhile, a fistula Surgeon Dr. Amir
Imam Yola of Laure Fistula Centre of the
Murtala Mohammed Teaching Hospital,
Kano said a major challenge for health
workers is refusal of women treated of
the condition to stay away from sex
immediately after their treatment.
Yola pointed the necessity of such
women abstaining from sex for a
minimum of six months. He said the
cause of prolonged obstructed labour
may be the pelvic is small or head of the
baby is too big.
“In my 20 years experience, I can say
that treatment of fistula has 80 to 90 per
cent success rate. In a week, we operate
12 to 15 clients conveniently, but when
there is distraction, we might operate
eight or nine patients a week. Most
times, when you do surgery, you have
repeated cases especially, when a fistula
client has fibroid and does not allow the
surgery to heal quick.
One of the clients, Mrs. Happy John,
from Kaduna State, who spoke with
journalists, said her problem started,
when she had two days prolonged
obstructed labour.
John said: “I have five children before
this health problem and my five children
are alive today. I thank God for the
sponsor of this programme, though my
family has been supporting me since the
onset. The first time my family members
brought me here, I was very scared of
undergoing surgery. But today, I thank
God that I came out successfully, now I
feel better that before. When the sickness
started, I felt pains in my back and
waist, with difficulty in sitting down
until I was brought to hospital.
My husband is very understanding as we
are going to wait for six months before
we can have sex again. I have been
praying that God would help us to
achieve this aim. I would encourage
other women, who have the same
problem to come forward for treatment.”
Fistula Care Plus is a five-year
cooperative agreement funded by United
States Agency for International
Development (USAID), through
September 2018.
(Concluded)

surgeons at work… the medical experts
say government needs to do more by
providing resources, necessary materials,
equipment and facilities including
manpower for treatment and prevention
of fistula