Phalombe holds obstetric fistula awareness campaign

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in conjunction with the Malawi Government conducted an obstetric awareness campaign in Phalombe on Thursday urging women with the condition to seek medical care.

During the ceremony,  Ministry of Health and Population chief director Beston Chisamile said government is joining hands with different stakeholders such as UNFPA to raise fistula awareness in the country.

In her remarks, UNFPA national programme officer Grace Hiwa said her organisation has trained health surveillance assistants (HSAs) in Phalombe on obstetric fistula.

“Apart from doing this, we are also getting people who recovered from fistula to come and encourage others to go for testing,” she said.

Traditional Authority  Nkhulambe said she is advising her village heads  to encourage women with the condition to go to the hospital.

“We are also urging men who desert their wives because they have fistula to be responsible and take them for treatment,” she said.

The designated United Nations International Day to end fistula falls on May 23 but Malawi celebrated it on June 21. The day was celebrated under the theme Leaving No one Behind; Let Us Commit to Ending .