TERREWODE Leads the Way as Uganda Launches Fistula Foundation Treatment Network

SOROTI, UGANDA – 5 September 2026 — History was made for Uganda’s mothers this week at Terrewode Women’s Community Hospital in Awasi, outside Soroti. 

On 3 September 2026, the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network (FFTN) was officially launched, turning the long-standing work of TERREWODE into the foundation of a coordinated national response to obstetric fistula.

The landmark event brought together the Ministry of Health, the Fistula Foundation, and seven implementing partners.

 Dr. Rony Bahatungire, Commissioner of Clinical Services, served as the guest of honour.

For TERREWODE — the Association for Rehabilitation and Re-Orientation of Women for Development — the launch recognizes two decades of pioneering work and marks a powerful expansion of its mission.

 Founded in 1999 by former journalist Alice Emasu Seruyange, TERREWODE has been Uganda’s leading force against obstetric fistula. This devastating childbirth injury leaves women incontinent and often deeply isolated. 

What began as community outreach has evolved into a holistic model of care encompassing awareness, prevention, free surgical treatment, and social reintegration.

At the centre of this model stands Terrewode Women’s Community Hospital, Uganda’s first specialised fistula facility. 

Opened in 2019 with 60 beds, the hospital is a sanctuary providing surgery, counselling, nutrition support, skills training, and pathways back into community life.

 TERREWODE currently supports around 600 free surgeries annually and helps more than 450 survivors each year through its reintegration programme.

The new Fistula Foundation Treatment Network builds directly upon this established infrastructure. Uganda becomes the sixth African country to join the network, following Kenya, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Nigeria.

 The FFTN unites seven critical partners:

Terrewode Women’s Community HospitalCoRSU Hospital, Kitovu HospitalSurgical Centre Mbarara, Uganda Childbirth Injury Fund, Uganda Village ProjectAfrica Mission Healthcare

Together, these partners aim to increase annual fistula surgeries in Uganda by 21 per cent — rising from 1,156 in 2025 to nearly 1,400 by 2028. The strategy also includes training more than 600 healthcare workers and strengthening patient identification, referrals, and long-term follow-up.

An estimated 74,000 Ugandan women still live with the condition, with about 1,900 new cases occurring each year. While the national backlog has fallen from roughly 200,000 cases in earlier years, the need remains urgent.“

This network means no woman will be left behind,” said Alice Emasu Seruyange, Founder and Executive Director of TERREWODE. “

For 27 years we have treated and restored dignity one woman at a time. Now we can do it faster, more efficiently, and with stronger coordination across the country.”Pamela Lowney, CEO of the Fistula Foundation, praised the partnership. 

The Foundation has supported more than 8,600 fistula surgeries in Uganda since 2011. 

“The launch of the Treatment Network demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that every woman affected by fistula can access the care she deserves,” Lowney stated.

Beyond surgical intervention, TERREWODE’s strength lies in its community roots. Through the Obstetric Fistula Awareness and Advocacy Network (OFAAN), which is largely composed of survivors, the organisation reaches remote villages, trains local health workers, and challenges social stigma. Reintegration programmes equip survivors with financial literacy, income-generating skills, and family mediation to ensure complete healing.

With the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network now active, the path from isolation to recovery is becoming shorter, more coordinated, and more hopeful for the thousands of women still waiting.