The world is set to mark the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula on May 23, with renewed calls for governments and healthcare stakeholders to strengthen maternal healthcare services and protect women from preventable childbirth injuries.
This year’s theme, “Her Health, Her Right: Shaping a Future without Fistula,” focuses on the need to improve access to quality maternal care, especially in poor and underserved communities where many women continue to suffer in silence.
Health experts say obstetric fistula remains one of the most serious childbirth injuries affecting women in developing countries, particularly in rural areas with limited access to emergency medical services.
The condition occurs after prolonged and obstructed labour without timely medical intervention, leaving women with uncontrollable leakage of urine or faeces due to internal injuries sustained during childbirth.
Medical professionals warn that beyond the physical pain, many survivors face stigma, social isolation and economic hardship after being abandoned by families or excluded from community life.
According to global health agencies, poverty, early pregnancies, child marriage and shortage of skilled birth attendants continue to fuel cases of obstetric fistula across low-income countries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have continued supporting treatment and rehabilitation programmes aimed at helping survivors regain their health and dignity.
Health campaigners are now urging governments to invest more in emergency obstetric care, modern maternity facilities and trained healthcare workers to prevent avoidable maternal injuries and deaths.
Community health workers and local leaders have also intensified awareness campaigns encouraging expectant mothers to seek hospital deliveries and early medical assistance during complicated labour.
Despite progress made in improving maternal healthcare services in some regions, experts say thousands of women and girls still face the risk of developing fistula due to delayed access to treatment and inadequate healthcare systems.
As the world commemorates the 2026 International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, healthcare advocates say ending the condition will require stronger healthcare systems, increased public awareness and sustained investment in maternal health services.
