Category: Uncategorized

New Findings Support Faster, More Cost-Effective Recovery for Women Following Obstetric Fistula Repair Surgery

by Vandana Tripathi, MPH, PhD — Deputy Director, Fistula Care Plus

NEW YORK, April 22, 2015—EngenderHealth press release on new study published in The Lancet.

EngenderHealth, a leading global women’s health organization, announced publication of study results in The Lancet that have the potential to dramatically improve standards of care following obstetric fistula repairs. By demonstrating that short-duration catheterization is safe and effective in appropriate cases, the large-scale study, conducted by EngenderHealth’s Fistula Care Project (now Fistula Care Plus) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), will inform current clinical practice, improve quality of care and allow for greater access to surgery.

No Ceilings Report

by Fistula Care Plus Admin

In March, No Ceilings: The Full Participation Report, a joint effort from the Clinton Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was released. The report details both the gains made in gender equality since the UN Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 as well as obstacles that limit the full participation of women and girls all over the world. The report highlights obstetric fistula as a maternal morbidity that could be prevented with greater access to health care including family planning.

Maternal Health Priorities from the Perspectives of Researchers

by Fistula Care Plus Admin

Last month, the Maternal Health Task Force released a new working paper Critical Maternal Health Knowledge Gaps in Low- and Middle-Income Countries for Post-2015: Researchers’ Perspectives. We encourage you to read the paper and think about how these recommendations can shape the landscape for maternal health research, including into maternal morbidities and fistula, over the next few years.

Protecting Health Care Workers from Ebola

by Fistula Care Plus Admin

Alexandre Delamou, who serves as a consultant to Fistula Care Plus, recently published an article in The Lancet arguing for better protection of health care workers from Ebola in Guinea. Lack of protection of health care workers in the country has lead to a high number of deaths among the workers in Guinea, which, Dr. Delamou argues, could lead weaken the already fragile health system in the country.

UN Adopts Resolution on Obstetric Fistula

by Fistula Care Plus Admin

On December 18, 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on obstetric fistula. The resolution calls for increased support to accelerate progress on Millennium Development Goal 5, which aims for improved maternal health and the elimination of fistula.