Understanding Obstetric Fistula: A Global Challenge

Obstetric fistula is a devastating childbirth injury with lifelong consequences—physical, social, and economic.

It occurs when women experience prolonged, obstructed labor without access to timely, high-quality maternal healthcare. In many cases, babies do not survive, and women are left with a hole in the birth canal that causes uncontrollable leakage of urine and feces. 

Obstetric fistula is more than a medical issue—it is a matter of dignity and social justice. Women affected are often stigmatized, isolated, and excluded from their communities. 

In high-income countries, obstetric fistula has been virtually eliminated due to access to skilled healthcare providers and timely hospital care. But in places like rural Nigeria, young mothers like Michael Joy still suffer.

After losing her baby during a prolonged labor, Michael Joy was cast out by her community because of the leaking caused by fistula. She lived in isolation for years before finally receiving life-changing surgery to repair her injury.

Obstetric fistula is entirely preventable and treatable, yet millions of women still suffer in silence. Michael Joy’s story is a powerful reminder that every woman, no matter where she lives, deserves timely and compassionate care.