Where urology and obstetrics meet: the Campaign to End Fistula

Abstract

That obstetric fistula, one of the most devastating childbirth morbidities, exists in the 21st century is unconscionable when the means to prevent and treat obstetric fistula are known. Where it persists, it is a startling reminder of the vast disparities in maternal health care. Inequities in access to skilled care at delivery and caesarean section and lack of available and affordable treatment care mean that tens of thousands of new cases occur and the backlog of cases grows each year. Nurses and midwives have a key role in preventing and treating obstetric fistula. A global Campaign to End Fistula is now bringing actors together to address the neglected condition of obstetric fistula. Nurses and midwives should be engaged in the fight to end this injustice.