Meet Elizabeth (pictured seated outside her home), from Tanzania’s rural Dodoma Region. She is 45 years old and has two children. Her older child is 19, and her younger one is 14.
After delivering her second child, Elizabeth discovered that she could not control urine. She did not know what it was and assumed that it was a chronic disease.
Maternity Africa’s outreach team – Grace our Social Worker and Etropia our Fistula Nurse – visited Dodoma Region in March 2021, and managed to reach Elizabeth’s village. Elizabeth attended one of Maternity Africa’s fistula awareness seminars. Etropia, screened Elizabeth and discovered that she had obstetric fistula.
Elizabeth traveled soon afterward to Maternity Africa’s Kivulini Maternity Hospital, where in-house surgeon Dr Freddy Mbise diagnosed vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), right ureteric fistula, and a split cervix.
After grueling, complicated surgery lasting nine hours – involving repair of Elizabeth’s bladder, ureteric re-implantation and repair of her split cervix – Elizabeth recuperated and was discharged – able to go home, and dry for the first time in 14 years.
To help Maternity Africa eradicate obstetric fistula by providing safe childbirth, please follow this link. Thank you.