Madagascar: Obstetric fistula surgery saving women’s lives.

By Tahiana Rasoazananoro

 Antananarivo, 28  November: In this story  women from the deep South of Madagascar, Ambovombe-Androy who underwent obstetric fistula surgery share their journey, their fight against discrimination and their social reintegration.

From 1st to 25^th March 2018, a campaign to repair women with obstetric fistula was organised at the Monja Jaona Regional Hospital Ambovombe, within the Androy Region. The campaign is part of the humanitarian response in the Deep South of Madagascar. The United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA), with the funding from the Japanese Government, coordinates this.

The campaign is called “Repair women with obstetric fistula”. In other words, it is a surgical operation for women who have suffered from perforation of the vagina and bladder due to prolonged childbirth and (or) lack of health care after a complicated delivery. This causes a leakage of urine through the vagina.

About 100 women from the Androy Region, Anosy, Antsimo Andrefana, aged from 15 to 55 years old underwent surgery and got support during the campaign. Most of them come from landlocked villages, there are those who have been sick for several years because of a complicated delivery, a rape and other causes.

After the procedure is done, the women are provided with necessary medicines that they continue to take at home. Their expenses to return home are also covered by the campaign.

Finally, there is also psycho-social care for the patients so that they do not consider themselves a burden for their families and they are not discriminated within their communities. Social workers take care of this component.

Tahiana Rasoazananoro is a journalist from Madagascar. This article is part of the Gender Links 16 Days News Service #VoiceandChoiceCampaign