Hadiza's Story

KATSINA, Nigeria, 24 February 2005—For over a year, Hadiza Hamisu, 20, tried to cope with the effects of obstetric fistula resulting from prolonged labour. All that is behind her now, she says, as she flashes a big cherubic smile.

Hadiza was one of the first patients to have her fistula repaired in Katsina this week as part of the “Fistula Fortnight” in four northern Nigerian states.

Her pregnancy was normal. That was the assurance she received during frequent antenatal visits to the local health centre. Seven months into the pregnancy, her husband suddenly left home without a word about his intentions or his destination. Hadiza has yet to hear from him and does not know his whereabouts.

At the onset of labour, Hadiza pleaded with her mother-in-law to take her to the hospital but was ignored for reasons she can not explain. She has a hunch it might all have been about tradition. On the third day, a birth attendant succeeded in delivering her baby girl. The baby was fine, but Hadiza was not. She had lost consciousness during the delivery and was rushed to the hospital by an aunt. “I think the fistula happened during the labour,” she says. “It has been very difficult, but I am very happy now and looking forward to going back to my parents.”

— George Ngwa

“Fistula Fortnight” Raises Sadiya's Hope for Marriage

BIRNIN KEBBI, Nigeria, 22 February 2005—Sadiya, a 22-year-old Hausa woman from Kebbi State, Nigeria, developed a fistula during her first delivery at the age of 18. After several hours of labour, alone and unsupervised, Sadiya was transported to a nearby hospital where, with the assistance of a nurse, she delivered a baby boy. Shortly thereafter, Sadiya noticed she was leaking urine.

Sadiya's son died from unknown causes when he was just 7 months old. Her husband, whom she married at 15, has since abandoned her. After hearing about the UNFPA-coordinated “Fistula Fortnight” on state radio, Sadiya's brothers brought her to the Birnin Kebbi VVF Centre for treatment.

“My hope after I recover is to remarry and to learn tailoring,” she told UNFPA after her successful fistula repair surgery on 21 February. Like many other fistula patients, Sadiya has had no formal education and has not acquired the skills she needs to make her self-sufficient.

— Allyson Ryan

Kebbi Fistula Centre – a Proof of Commitment

The Birnin Kebbi VVF Centre

BIRNIN KEBBI, Nigeria, 22 February 2005—Located in the Gesse Housing Estate in the state capital, the Birnin Kebbi VVF Centre – a brand new 60-bed fistula treatment facility in Kebbi state – is participating as one of four centres chosen in Nigeria for the “Fistula Fortnight,” a two-week treatment and training project under the global “Campaign to End Fistula.” The other centres are based in Kano, Katsina and Sokoto states.

The great story about the Birnin Kebbi facility is that it took less than five months to build and furnish. The government-funded centre houses a theatre ward, an ante-natal ward, two general wards, a generator house, two underground water tanks, one surface tank, one overhead tank, a laundry room and a kitchen.

On a visit to the premises yesterday, Alhaji Abubakar Babuga Umar, the state's commissioner for health, proclaimed that the centre is “a demonstration of the Government's commitment to improving the quality of life of our women.”

— Oluwafisan Bankale