Ethiopia’s hidden crisis - a condition that affects one in four women in Ethiopia.
An enduring vision
Dr. Catherine Hamlin never distinguished between “worthy” or “unworthy” conditions and she never turned her back on a woman who was suffering.
That’s why, as well as treating obstetric fistula, all six Hamlin hospitals in Ethiopia also treat women with advanced pelvic organ prolapse (POP) – restoring their dignity and giving them back their lives.
“When we treat one woman with advanced prolapse, we are treating an entire family system. A mother is the foundation - she provides food, income, childcare, emotional stability. When she heals, the children can return to school, the family can eat regularly, and the community gains back a productive member.”
Dr Sirate Negash, Specialist Urogynaecologist, Hamlin’s
Yirgalem Fistula Hospital
What is Pelvic Organ Prolapse?
The pelvic floor is a network of muscles and tissues that supports the internal organs of the pelvis, much like a hammock. When this support is damaged or stretched by prolonged labour, multiple births or trauma during delivery, it weakens and organs can slip down into the vagina, causing a bulge.
Pelvic organ prolapse affects women worldwide, but it varies greatly in severity. Mild cases may cause minor discomfort. In advanced cases, such as those commonly seen in Ethiopia, the bladder, uterus or bowel can descend completely through the vaginal opening, leading to chronic pain, recurrent infections, urinary and bowel problems, and in severe cases, kidney damage.
Why is Ethiopia different?
In New Zealand, POP is caught early and often treated without surgery. In Ethiopia, women present with advanced stage pelvic organ prolapse after years of suffering - requiring complex surgical repair that can only be done by specialised surgeons.
Key Stats:
• 1 in 4 (23%) Ethiopian women are affected.
• Typically affects younger women than in developed countries.
• Often Stage Four when they are found.
• Over 2,000 surgeries performed at Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s six hospitals last year alone.
• Thousands more women are still suffering in silence.
Factors:
• High fertility rates.
• Hard physical labour especially soon after giving birth.
• Prolonged labour and multiple births without access to maternal healthcare.
• Years of living with the condition untreated.
The devastating impact
With no access to healthcare, women in rural Ethiopia are forced to live with advanced stage pelvic organ prolapse that shatters every aspect of their lives.
Physical suffering:
• Severe, chronic pain.
• Bleeding and infections.
• Urinary obstruction.
• Kidney damage and renal failure
• Ulceration.
Social devastation:
• Women hide away in shame, isolated from their communities.
• Often, their husbands leave to start a family with someone else.
• Unable to work or earn an income, women can’t provide for their families.
I kept my illness a secret, even from my children. I prayed day and night for a solution, but I could not afford to visit any health facilities for treatment.- Elile, recently treated by Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia for advanced stage POP.
How Hamlin is Helping
While Hamlin Ethiopia’s Patient Identification Officers are searching remote Ethiopian villages for women with obstetric fistula, they are discovering thousands more suffering in silence with advanced stage pelvic organ prolapse (POP).
All six Hamlin Hospitals provide a range of gynaecological treatments to women, including obstetric fistula and advanced POP surgery.
For women like Elile, this has been life-changing.
Many of the women benefiting from this life-altering treatment often lack the financial means to cover its cost. Their treatment is offered free, thanks to generous donors from New Zealand and around the world.
You can make a life-changing difference - donate today
