Khartoum May 10, 2010. Year after year, women of greater Darfur have been receiving the much needed Fistula treatment from UNFPA and partners through the annual Fistula campaigns.

Annual Fistula campaigns in North Darfur began in 2001 at Elfasher's Fistula Centre. UNFPA became involved following the onset of the conflict in Darfur in 2004. Ever since, UNFPA has been providing support through theCampaign to End Fistula in Darfur. The Fistula project is carried out through advocacy, capacity building in care of Fistula patients before and after surgery, supply of all needed drugs and medical equipment in addition to rehabilitation and social reintegration of fistula patients back into their families and communities.

This year, UNFPA and partners working in IDPs camps and rural areas managed to mobilize these communities to refer patients to the Fistula Center at Elfasher's Maternity Hospital. During the campaign, 36 patients have been operated on and 7 more patients will receive treatment.

"Responding to high rates of Fistula in Darfur region requires more efforts," says Dr. Eziz Khellenov, Field Coordinator of UNFPA's Humanitarian Response Unit. "We should continue to invest more in mobilizing resources for prevention, treatment and reintegration of Fistula patients," he added.

In addition to provision of all drugs and medical supplies, UNFPA funded feeding program and training of nurses in patient care. UNFPA has also provided support services in rehabilitation and social reintegration of fistula patients in addition to support for patients' return to their communities following treatment. 

Dr. John Kelly - a world renowned Fistula surgeon contributes to the campaign every year for the past ten years. He says more focus has to be placed on prevention and in involving communities through awareness-raising. Training ex-Fistula patients as Village Midwives will help reduce the incidence of the condition. These trained, and paid, midwives will be able to detect when a women should be referred to the appropriate facility which will also reduce maternal death.

"We only see the lucky ones who get to receive the treatment. There are more who do not get any help," says Dr. Kelly. "We need to involved husbands and ensure that women are referred when they have obstructed labour."

Fistula patients from different Darfur states received a visit from UNFPA and local partners at Elfasher Fistula Center and distributed personal hygiene kits, clothes, blankets, plastics mats, mosquito nets and washing soap.

Mostly caused by prolonged and obstructed labour, Obstetric Fistula is a medical condition that leaves an abnormal opening between the birth canal and urinary bladder and/or rectum that causes women to leak urine or faeces, or both, uncontrollably. Of those women affected, more than 60 per cent are in Darfur region and neighbouring states.