West Regional Delegate of Health calls on Community Workers to facilitate Obstetric Fistula as a Moral Obligation
Some 42 community members from the West, Adamawa and South West Regions of Cameroon have committed to fish out all women with fistula in their communities and refer for treatment. This was during a one-day workshop on identification and referrals of fistula cases that took place at the Bafoussam Baptist Hospital premises on June 21, 2024.
The workshop was organised by the CBC Health Services Obstetric Fistula Project to educate the community workers on obstetric fistula and the strategies to raise awareness and identify fistula cases in the communities.
Speaking before opening the workshop, the West Regional Delegate of Health, Dr. Chimoun Dauda told the participants that they have a moral obligation to take care of women with fistula and to ensure their treatment. He explained that someone with a different disease can freely go to the hospital for consultation but women with fistula find it difficult to freely access health care due to the bad odor resulting from the continuous urine or stool leakage.
The West Public Health boss thanked the CBC Health Services for not only taking the initiative to treat women with obstetric fistula but doing so free of charge. He said such an initiative will be a great encouragement to these women most of who are unable to afford for treatment.
During the training, the participants received knowledge on the causes, impact, and prevention of fistula by the CBC Health Services Focal Point for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Njodzeven Divine who told them that obstetric is caused by prolonged and obstructed labour without timely obstetric care. He encouraged them to prevent obstetric fistula by working hard to stop the factors that delay pregnant women from accessing obstetric care early.
For his part the Sexual and Reproductive Health Focal Point at the West Regional Delegation of Health, Mr. Wado Etienne presenting on the role of the community in ending and identifying Obstetric Fistula told the Community Health Workers that their role is capital crucial in ending and treating obstetric fistula. This role according to Mr. Wado includes awareness raising, partnering with community stakeholders, referring suspected cases for confirmation and treatment and also facilitating their reinsertion into mainstream life. He remarked that if after the workshop women with fistula in their communities still remain untreated then they would have failed in their mission.
The Project Coordinator, Ayenjika Yasmeratu at the start of the workshop, gave an overview of the project during which she said the project aims to provide treatment to at least 60 women with obstetric fistula. She also schooled them on procedures for documenting and reporting cases for treatment.
The participants for their part promised to use knowledge gained to fish out all women with fistula and refer them for diagnosis and treatment. Speaking on their behalf, Njimongni Josue thanked the CBC Health Services for enabling them to acquire knowledge that will enable them to cause women with obstetric fistula in their communities to be identified and treated.
Obstetric fistula is a child birth injury that leaves women incontinent (uncontrollable leaking) of urine and or stool through the vagina. It occurs when a woman or girl goes through a difficult and prolonged labour without timely access to an emergency Caesarean Section (operation).
The CBC Health Services is treating the condition free of charge in Nkwen and Mbingo Baptist Hospitals thanks to support from Fistula Foundation.
