Fistula surgery for women with Fistula Foundation

Obstetric fistula is a devastating childbirth injury caused by prolonged, obstructed labor without access to emergency obstetric care. Sustained pressure of the baby’s head against the mother’s pelvic bone cuts blood flow to the tissue between the vagina and the bladder or rectum. The tissue dies, leaving a hole, or “fistula.” It causes a woman to leak urine and/or feces, indefinitely. Surgery is the only cure, and can restore a woman’s health, hope, and future.

Women with fistula face devastating physical and psychological consequences. Many women suffer from intense isolation and stigma, and are unable to work, care for themselves and others, or participate in their communities. A fistula patient is frequently blamed for her own condition and shunned by her neighbors and family, because of her smell. Fistula is widely misunderstood and thought to be a curse, instead of a curable medical condition.

Up to one million women are estimated to be living with untreated fistula and related childbirth injuries. Most of them are poor, and living in rural areas of Africa and Asia. A corrective surgery, performed by a trained healthcare provider, can cure a woman for life. Once healed, she can return to her family, her work, and her community.

The charity coordinating this work is Fistula Foundation, the global leader in fistula care. Support pays for life-transforming surgeries, healthcare provider training, and community outreach across 35+ countries in Africa and Asia. The average cost of one operation is $870 CAD, and a single surgery provides an immediate and lasting impact.

Gifts through Rethink Charity come with an official Canadian donation receipt. A successful surgery from Fistula Foundation is highly cost-effective, as a one-time gift results in a clear, measurable outcome: a woman’s health restored.