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2012 2014 liberia 1
- 1. Zonta International Project to Eliminate Obstetric Fistula in Liberia
- 2. A heart-breaking problem that too few know about and even fewer support
- 4. A woman dies every minute in the developing world as a result of pregnancy and childbirth.
- 5. “In the 21st century, no woman should have to give her life to give life.” Ban Ki-moon Secretary General United Nations
- 6. 20 women …for every woman who dies, there are twenty more who suffer from the consequences of a difficult pregnancy or complicated childbirth.
- 7. At least 2,000,000 women worldwide suffer from an obstetric fistula.
- 8. There is good news: 90%…
- 9. …is the success rate of state of the art reconstructive surgery.
- 10. $130 national net income per person and year in Liberia
- 11. 219… …out of 1,000 women in Liberia are between 15 and 19 years old when they give birth for the first time.
- 12. Paving the way for a better future. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President of Liberia 2011 Nobel Prize for Peace
- 13. …and this is where the global Fistula Campaign of UNFPA and Zonta International come in: information and prevention Zonta International’s Support (2008 to Present) US$450,000 (2008-2010) US$500,000 (2010-2012) US$1,000,000 (2012-2014)
- 14. Treatment
- 17. $675 will give a woman back her life
- 18. $5 to feed a patient for one week after surgery has been completed $10 to transport a patient to the hospital $80 for surgical tools $60 for a caesarean section
- 19. Ready to Return to Life
- 20. Prevention
- 21. Fistula is a heart-breaking problem Zonta plays a major role in • Raising awareness • Building medical capability • Giving many young women who live in a state of constant despair… Their Lives Back
- 22. We can help these young women by generously donating to this critical Zonta International Service Project.
- 23. The fistula victims in Liberia thank you for your support.
Notes de l'éditeur
- Let me tell you about an excellent project that ZONTA International has funded for more than four years now.
- It concerns a debilitating injury so many women in the world suffer from: obstetric fistula and Zonta’s contribution to the fight against fistula.
- Obstetric fistula usually develops when a prolonged labor presses an unborn child so tightly in the birth canal that blood flow is cut off to surrounding tissues, causing the tissues to die. This results in a hole that forms between the vagina and the bladder or rectum. The dismal causes that can lead to obstetric fistula are poverty, lack of education, early marriage, childbirth, and lack of medical care . Obstetric fistula is an injury of childbearing that has been relatively neglected, despite the devastating impact it has on the lives of girls and women. The consequences of fistula are life shattering: The baby usually dies, and the woman is left with chronic incontinence. Because of her inability to control her flow of urine or feces, she is often abandoned, or neglected by her husband and family, and ostracized by her community. Without treatment, her prospects for work and family life are greatly diminished, and she is often left to rely on charity. One young woman described her life after she developed a fistula: "I thought I should kill myself. You can’t walk with people. They laugh at you. You can’t travel; you are constantly in pain. It is so uncomfortable when you sleep. You go near people and they say urine smells, and they are looking directly at you and talking in low tones. It hurt so much I thought I should die. You can’t work because you are in pain; you are always wet and washing clothes. Your work is just washing pieces of rags." Fistula is a relatively hidden problem, largely because it affects the most marginalized members of society: young, poor, illiterate women in remote areas. Many never present themselves for treatment. Because they often suffer alone, their terrible injuries may be ignored or misunderstood.
- For years, the tragic deaths of 500,000 mothers a year have been more or less invisible. Ninety percent of those deaths occur in Africa and Asia. Progress in reducing these deaths has been slow. Nevertheless, the issue is gaining ground in terms of political commitments and media attention. There is hope. There are successes that point the way to a better future.
- UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon addressed the 62nd World Health Assembly on May 19, 2009 with the words: “ There is perhaps no single issue that ties together the security, prosperity and progress of our world than women’s health. Women’s rights are human rights! Women’s health touches the heart of every issue and the soul of every society. Women are the weavers of the fabric of society… In my year as Secretary General, I convened leaders from the United Nations’ system, the world of philanthropy, the private sector and civil society to focus on 21st century health priorities. They all agreed: we must begin with maternal health….Maternal health is the mother of all health challenges. Today, maternal mortality is the slowest moving target of all the Millennium Development Goals---and that is an outrage. Together, let us make maternal health the priority it must be. In the 21st century, no woman should have to give her life to give life.”
- One of the worst consequences of complications in giving birth is the phenomenon of “obstetric fistula”.
- Some 50,000 to 100,000 new cases of obstetric fistula develop each year. A tragic failure to deliver maternal care. To compound the suffering, sometimes it takes months and even years before those afflicted can be cured. In Liberia, it is estimated that there are 600-1,000 new cases of fistula every year. Obstetric fistula is the most common form of fistula in Liberia, accounting for an estimated 86% of cases. The remaining fistulae resulted from sexual violence, female genital mutilation or malpractice fistula.
- Because of the very high success rate of reconstructive surgery, 90 percent of the fistula patients with an average fistula condition can be repaired.
- Liberia has an estimated population of 3.5 million people. The maternal mortality ratio is estimated at 990 deaths per 100,000 live births. Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world. 83.7% of its population live on less than $1 per day This situation is the result of 15 years of a cruel civil war. By 1997 the war had destroyed 74% of the hospitals and 71% of the health centers and clinics. Life expectancy for women is 59 years. Obstetric fistulae occur disproportionately among impoverished girls and women, especially those who live far away from cities or medical facilities. Not surprisingly, Liberia is a country where the WHO statistics register an appalling frequency of obstetric fistulae.
- This figure is one of the highest globally. 54% of women deliver their babies at home.
- The Government under the leadership of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is committed to improving the lives of Liberia’s citizens.
- And that’s where the UNFPA Campaign comes in. UNFPA is the United Nations Population Fund. UNFPA operates only on donations and will only work with a country that seeks its close cooperation and support. Liberia‘s Reproductive Health Program creates a framework for a joint effort. The project is sustainable because it has been integrated into the national health system and is implemented largely by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Treatment is free and is provided in government health facilities as part of comprehensive maternal health services, and fistula care and treatment are an integral part of the revised Sexual and Reproductive Health policy and plan. In 2003, UNFPA started the Campaign to End Fistula. Since 2003, UNFPA has secured almost $30 million in contributions to support countries. The goal is to eliminate fistula by 2015. More than 12,000 women worldwide have received fistula treatment and care with the support of UNFPA. Zonta is UNFPA‘s partner in the Liberia Campaign. Zontians from all over the world have voted at the Conventions in Rotterdam and San Antonio to fund the project with altogether $950,000. At the 2012 Convention in Torino, the delegates voted to continue funding with $1,000,000 in the biennium 2012-2014. Information and prevention form an integral part of the program. Zonta International has been the major funder of the Liberia Fistula Project. So far, the project has trained 20 fistula survivors, 16 journalists and 10 students to serve as fistula advocates, disseminating information about the causes, preventions and treatment of obstetric fistula.
- Offering reconstructive surgery is a major objective of the project. The project has strengthened and equipped two fistula centers – one in the capital Monrovia, and another in Central Liberia.
- With Zonta‘s money, six doctors and more than 70 nurses, midwives and physician assistants were trained who in turn treated 875 fistula patients. In order to ensure quality care and treatment, essential drugs and medical equipment, including plastic aprons and sheets, syringes and needles, sutures and antiseptics and detergents, will be provided to 12 selected hospitals in at least 9 counties.
- The goal of the campaign is to educate the patients within the two weeks they stay in hospital. It takes two weeks for the tissue to heal. They learn that the fistula is not a curse. They learn that a woman giving birth should seek the support of midwives or doctors… That young girls in particular should seek competent support before they give birth… That it’s best to avoid pregnancies when they’re still young. Practical guidance on how to start a new life is also provided. Nutritional advice as well as financial counseling is offered. But above all, it is crucial to give moral support. In many cases, it is the first time in many years, if not in their life, that the women receive kind attention and can feel taken good care of.
- The average cost of fistula surgry and post-operative care is approximately US$675, while the cost of social rehabilitation for a fistula survivor (Provision of skills training and psachosocial support) is on average US$1,300.
- The picture shows 17 survivors, having undergone successful surgery followed by counseling and skills training through the Liberia Fistula Rehabilitation and Re-Integration Program that receives funds from UNFPA and Zonta. The women were awarded certificates and gifts, and urged to become “ambassadors” and role models for those who do not have the courage or the opportunity to seek help.
- Information and awareness raising to prevent the occurence of fistulae are critical to success. In 2009, a two-week information campaign which was supported by local media, as well as fistula survivors, resulted in providing 67 women fistula surgery, and obstetric care for another 300 women. In addition to campaigns, posters, flyers and billboards were created to increase the population‘s knowledge. Raising awareness also includes meetings with influential groups, community and religious leaders and developing an informational documentary. Zonta‘s funding has supported one ward at JFK Hospital in Monrovia, and helped to make the fistula program active in 9 of the 15 Liberian counties. Our support encouraged other donors.