TERREWODE & Partners call for integration of fistula care with GBV elimination policy amidst rising cases.

Increasing cases of women seeking fistula treatment due to gender based violence (GBV) at hospital has raised concerns with women associations such as TEREWODE with GBV as the leading cause of the high prevalence in institutions, communities and at Individual level.

In a research conducted by The Association for Rehabilitation and Re-Orientation of Women for Development, (TERREWODE), in partnership with University of Minnesota and others better understand experiences of Gender Based Violence amongst women receiving treatment of obstetric Fistula and other child birth Injuries at TERREWODE Women’s Community Hospital (TWCH) in Uganda, it was revealed that over 1-2 million women are estimated to have Obstetric fistula in SSA and South Asia with over 6,000 new cases per year in the regions.

The report indicates that Uganda has a high lifetime prevalence of women reporting symptoms consistent with the presence of a fistula representing 14 per 1000 women of reproductive age.

Ms. Alice Emasu, Executive Director, TERREWODE said, “GBV among women with fistula and other child birth injuries only worsens their condition physically and psychologically. It delays healing. When survivors are coerced to resume sexual activities before proper healing, it prolongs recovery period, further disempowers and robs them dignity, self esteem and productivity”

Uganda's CSOs have called upon the government and stakeholders integrate fistula care into the national elimination of GBV (2016) policy and its action response plan, and improvement in quality of care for patients and survivors, by enforcing early screening and detection of GBV among women and girls at all levels of healthcare points specialised training for Healthcare providers, providing safe spaces for counselling, psychosocial support and mental health inventions, foster coordination and collaboration with other agencies and promote community awareness and advocacy on GBV and how it slows progress on the elimination of fistula, restoring the dignity of women and their overall empowerment and productivity.