Our goal is fistula-free and safe childbirth for every woman.
Restoring Dignity, Saving Lives
Obstetric fistula is a common and devastating childbirth injury that occurs as a result of prolonged, obstructed labour without access to timely medical care. It leaves survivors with uncontrollable incontinence, and in most cases the loss of their baby as well. The physical and psychological consequences are debilitating, traumatic and heart-breaking.
In 1959, New Zealand-born Dr Reg Hamlin and his Australian wife, Dr Catherine Hamlin, began their extraordinary journey to Ethiopia — and their quest to provide treatment for some of the country’s most marginalised women: those who had suffered an obstetric fistula. Although both have now passed, their legacy continues…
Today, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia provides life-changing surgery and rehabilitation, while also preventing childbirth injuries by training and placing midwives in remote areas with no access to maternity care.
Hamlin’s healthcare network includes more than 600 Ethiopian staff working across six specialist fistula hospitals, the Hamlin College of Midwives, the Desta Mender rehabilitation and reintegration centre, and over 90 Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics across the country.
Over the past 65 years, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia has treated over 70,000 women
However, around 30,000 women in Ethiopia still live with an untreated obstetric fistula injury
Each year, at least 1,000 new fistula cases will occur
Raising Funds for Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia
Established in 2005 at the request of Dr Catherine, the Hamlin Charitable Fistula Hospitals Trust (known as Hamlin Fistula New Zealand) is a Kiwi charity committed to raising funds and awareness. We are dedicated to restoring the health and dignity of women who have survived horrendous - and preventable - childbirth injuries.
Join us to ensure the health and dignity of mothers by making quality maternity care and expert treatment for childbirth injuries accessible for every woman.
Just $4.38 a day can restore a woman’s life through life-changing surgery and loving care after untold suffering from a horrific childbirth injury. Joining our community of Hamlin Regular Givers is the most impactful way you can help women with childbirth injuries in Ethiopia. Regular donations are the most reliable source of income, allowing us to plan ahead to deliver the best care and support for women.
Through Project Zero we’ve made it our mission to bring obstetric fistula injury numbers down to zero, by focusing on identification, prevention, and education.
Join us as we roll out this life-changing project across the country and make Dr Catherine Hamlin’s vision of a fistula-free Ethiopia a reality.
Introducing our 2025 Year in Review – made possible by you. As we begin 2026, we are pleased to share our 2025 Year in Review with you. We hope you enjoyed a restful and joyful Christmas, and that the New Year has started well for you and your loved ones. Over the past year, your […]
After a full year of treatment at the Hamlin Addis Ababa Hospital, Abebech is finally cured. With no access to maternal healthcare, Abebech endured eleven days of excruciating labour before delivering a stillborn baby. She sustained a double fistula, leaving her incontinent of urine and faeces. Abebech spent 15 years hiding in shame and isolation. […]
Birtukan sustained an obstetric fistula during the birth of her son. The physical pain formed only part of her suffering. “Fistula brought relentless discomfort and embarrassment, making even the simplest tasks unbearable. I avoided church and the market and was unable to contribute to my family’s life. It was a lonely and depressing existence.” A […]
Keep up to date with our work including the latest news from our programmes in Ethiopia, ways to get involved and how your support can make a difference.
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Hamlin Fistula NZ is committed to providing ongoing support for fistula surgery and for the preventive work of the midwives. The hospital in Addis Ababa has become a centre of excellence to which doctors from other countries come to learn and master the specialist skills of fistula surgery.
Photography credits to Mary F. Calvert, Kate Geraghty, Amber Hooper, Joni Kabana, Joli Wescombe, Natasha Meyer and Martha Tadesse.
