The Fistula Project Coordinator in Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Dr Sunday Lengman, says more than 150,000 women are said to be affected by Vesico Vaginal Fistula, (VVF) in the country.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Monday, Lengman observed that Nigeria has the highest number of affected people globally.
The global community commemorates the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula (IDEOF) every May 23; set by the United Nations to recognise the struggles of women living with fistula.
Fistula is a devastating health condition caused primarily by prolonged/obstructed labour and unsafe obstetric or gynecological surgery.
“Today is the International Day for the eradication of Fistula, in Nigeria we are doing our bit to end it and it is quite immense because Nigeria has the highest population of women living with VVF standing at more than 150,000 women.
“VVF is an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder and the vagina that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault,” he said.
Lengman said that as part of the commemoration of the day, the centre had flagged off free corrective surgeries for women who came from Kano State, Taraba and environs.
He noted that childbirth injuries contributes to 98 per cent of the development of VVF, while other causes include certain cancers, surgical interventions, trauma, harmful traditional practices, such as genital mutilation and congenital defects.
He, however, stated that the centre also provides prevention services to women all over the country who were at risk of getting VVF.
Lengman advised that girls should remain in school as they would escape the early years of being forced into marriage until they reach maturity, adding that supervised delivery by health workers could reduce the risk of having VVF in women.
He also encouraged women who were pregnant to register in health facilities in case they would need surgical interventions, while encouraging them to eat healthy during pregnancy.
The clinician stated that the centre also gave secondary intervention to women by attacking the fistula early enough, adding that it was when the fistula stayed for a long time that husbands, families and employers would desert the patients.
He said that the centre had operated more than 550 women from Nigeria, Togo, Cameroon, Chad and other neighbouring countries who were deemed inoperable in their countries and they had been reintegrated back to society.
Lengman also said that they offered all services free of charge, including feeding and accommodation, getting its funding from international donors such as Fistula Foundation, California and Christopher Blinded Mission (CBM) Global.
Others, he said, are the CBM International and Direct Relieve which he said the funds were used for outreaches in other states in Nigeria.
He said the centre has been accredited by FIGO, a world body for obstetricians and gynaecologists, as a training centre after seeing their contributions to the treatment and possible eradication of VVF in Nigeria .(NAN)
