The field of obstetric fistula has historically lacked common definitions and data for measuring needs and outcomes. The USAID-funded, EngenderHealth-led projects Fistula Care and Fistula Care Plus have undertaken collaborative indicator development, introduced standardized data collection at health facilities, and promoted the integration of fistula indicators into national health management information systems (HMIS) to enable continued measurement and support for fistula treatment services. In keeping with its commitment to quality improvement, Fistula Care Plus also works to promote the use of data for decision making at the health care facility, within local governance and at the national level.
Year: 2014
It’s all about the women!
It’s all about the women! Support for Togolese Women from a Myriad of Partners
One of the greatest pleasures of my work as director of the FC+ project is to recognize that amidst so many world challenges, there are individuals and groups who care deeply about women, their reproductive health, and their future. Today as I write this message, Dr. Kindy Diallo, an eminent and highly skilled surgeon from Guinea, a country racked by Ebola in some parts, is in Sokodé, Togo working in partnership with Togolese surgeons, providing life-changing surgery to 100 women with obstetric fistula.
Inauguration of Maison Dorcas III at The Panzi Foundation
Maison Dorcas III at the Panzi Foundation was inaugurated in the early afternoon on Tuesday September 3, 2014 in the Ibanda township situated in Bukavu, the capital of the South Kivu province of the DRC.
Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
Dr. Denis Mukwege was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament last month. Dr. Mukwege, a Congolese gynecological surgeon, has dedicated himself to protecting women and providing life-saving care, including fistula repair, to women who are victims of sexual violence. Dr. Mukwege has been a fierce advocate for women’s rights and has campaigned to end mass rape as a weapon of war. Dr. Mukwege is the founder and medical director of Panzi Hospital in the DRC, a site at which Fistula Care Plus is proud to work.
2014 State of the World’s Midwifery
The UN General Assembly week and advocacy events held by partners such as “Every Woman Every Child” have brought the 2014 State of the World’s Midwifery (SoWMy) Report back into the spotlight, as donors and policymakers are encouraged to provide the resources needed to strengthen maternal and newborn health services. Fistula Care Plus has been involved with global midwifery action throughout 2014.