Ebonyi State First Lady, Chief Mrs. Josephine Elechi, gave a presentation at an international conference held at the Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC June 7-9, 2010. The theme of the conference was Delivering Solutions for Girls and Women.
The conference was organized by Women Deliver, a global advocacy organization bringing together voices from around the world to call for action against maternal death. Sponsorship and support for the conference was provided by a host of governmental and non-governmental organizations, including The World Bank, WHO, UNICEF, USAID, UNFPA, UNAIDS, The European Union, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and many others.
Conference attendees included First Ladies from various countries, representatives of various countries and NGOs, and medical experts in the field of obstetric and fistula care.
Mrs. Elechi was the lead speaker in a conference session held June 9, 2010 titled Innovations in Fistula Prevention, Treatment, and Reintegration. In her presentation, she described efforts to combat vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) in Ebonyi State through a combination of legislation, enlightenment, prevention and treatment.
Mrs. Elechi was accompanied to the conference by Dr. Sunday Adeoye. Dr. Adeoye is a fistula surgeon at the Fistula Repair Unit, Ebonyi Teaching Hospital Abakaliki. The duo of Mrs. Elechi and Dr. Adeoye captivated the audience when they described the challenges, efforts and successes recorded in the fight to reduce VVF in Ebonyi State and other parts of Nigeria.
Mrs. Elechi has been championing efforts to reduce VVF in Ebonyi and neighboring states since the inception of the Governor Elechi administration. Among others, she:
- Founded the Mother and Child Care Initiative to help reduce the rate of maternal morbidity in Ebonyi State.
- Galvanized public and private sector support for the construction and equipment of the South East Regional Fistula Center located in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
- Championed passage of the Ebonyi State Mother and Child Care Initiative and Related Matters Law, 2008. The law, which was passed in June 2008, was amended in September 2009 to include issues of maternal morbidity.
Mrs. Elechi’s efforts have earned her recognition and commendation from various local, national and international bodies, including a merit award by the Mother’s Knight Committee in 2010.
About Fistula
What is Fistula?
Obstetric fistula is an injury of childbirth caused by prolonged labor without medical intervention or cesarean section. It is an abnormal opening between the birth canal and the bladder and/or rectum.
Traumatic gynecologic fistula is a similar injury caused by brutal rape or other forms of sexual violence.
Contributing Factors
Poverty and lack of access to safe, high-quality maternal healthcare are some if the direct causes of obstetric fistula. Complications from pregnancy at an early age (usually in places where early marriage is common) is also a contributing cause. When a young woman is not yet physically mature, her pelvis may be too small for safe delivery and this can lead to childbirth complications causing fistula.
Consequences of Fistula
Fistula is life-shattering for the women who experience it. It leaves a woman with chronic incontinence, which often results in social isolation. Other consequences may include frequent ulcers and infections, kidney disease, possible paralysis, and even death.
A woman with obstetric fistula will usually have a stillbirth, so she and her family also experience the loss of a child. Survivors of traumatic fistula must endure the psychological trauma and stigma of rape
Nigeria accounts for 40% of the global burden of VVF, which translates to, an estimated 800,000 women and 20,000 new cases annually (IMNCH 2007).
