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SEATTLE – Yeserash was between 12 and 13 years old when his father Simeneh arranged his marriage. He had 10 children and Yeserash was the oldest. According to her father, she had a happy childhood by taking care of her family's livestock. However, everything changed after Yeserash was removed from school to get married. She quickly became pregnant and, after a difficult job, suffered serious medical complications. The baby did not survive. Due to her child marriage and lack of access to medical help, Yeserash has become another victim of obstetric fistula in Ethiopia
The Global Problem of Obstetric Fistula [19659003] Obstetric fistula affects about two million women worldwide. incidents reported each year. According to the United Nations Population Fund, Obstetric Fistula "is a hole between the bad cbad and the bladder or rectum caused by prolonged and obstructed labor, without access to prompt medical treatment and quality". mother to flee the feces in a chronic way, leaving her constantly in pain and facing the ostracism of the community. Obstetric fistula in Ethiopia affects at least 36,000 women, making it a serious public health problem for the East African nation.
Obstetric fistula can also be a reminder of a painful loss. Babies often die from lack of oxygen during prolonged labor, which means that fistula patients may experience deep heartbreak with the pain inherent in their condition. Combined with the social stigma of the disease, depression is common among fistula patients. Obstetric fistula in Ethiopia seriously affects the mental and physical health of women.
As she explained in a video produced by USAID, Yeserash experienced this trauma first-hand. Her thighs were covered with a blister of urine that was flowing uncontrollably along her legs. She felt "lower" than the people around her because of her loss of control over her bodily functions. Social factors contributed to his feeling of self-loathing. Simeneh reported that other villagers who came to the house complained strongly of the smell of urine and even spat to show their disgust. Yeserash often felt hopeless and his father said that at times he hoped that he "was not alive to see his pain".
Ethiopian government launches initiative to help women and babies
However serious obstetric fistula may be, Ethiopia has made great strides in its fight against obstetric fistula. In 2014, the government launched a five-year campaign against obstetric fistula. NGOs support the government's efforts to provide thousands of Ethiopian women with the maternity care they need. The head of these organizations is the Hamlin Fistula Hospital, the world leader in fistula care, but there are many others who accomplish the same mission. For example, the Aira Hospital provides free surgery and transportation services to its faculty. The Gondar Historical University has expanded its fistula training and treatment center. Specialized programs have even been designed to provide the same badistance to refugees in the region. Collectively, these organizations have served thousands of patients.
The treatment of Yeserash is one of those successes. After learning of the existence of a hospital by a medical officer, Yeserash was admitted and cured in a painless procedure. She regained health, improved her social position and even gave birth to a baby boy. His father said that after his procedure, the whole family felt "boundless happiness". It has been cured
However, as the saying goes, prevention is the best medicine, and in the case of obstetric fistula in Ethiopia, there are two main factors that encourage the prevalence of the disease. First, the lack of access to qualified staff poses a serious threat to mothers and babies. Only 15.5% of births in Ethiopia are attended by qualified medical personnel and there is only one doctor specializing in women's reproductive health for 350,000 Ethiopians. This contributes to the high maternal mortality rate (one in every 64 women will die during her life) and the complications of labor. Staff trained in the prevention of prolonged labor can significantly reduce the risk of obstetric fistula.
Child marriage is a factor in obstetric fistula in Ethiopia
The practice of child marriage also contributes to the prevalence of obstetric fistula in Ethiopia. According to the course materials of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences of Hawbada University in Ethiopia, most fistula victims are girls living in impoverished rural communities. A World Health Organization study found that of all fistula victims in Nigeria and Ethiopia, half were pregnant when they were still minor and one-quarter were pregnant when they were under 15 years old. The Fistula Hospital of Addis Ababa was 14.7 years old. Many of these girls are simply not physically developed enough to give birth, which exposes them to complications such as obstetric fistula.
The Ethiopian government has been working on the issue of child marriage. The legal age of marriage in Ethiopia (regardless of gender) is 18 years old. In the last decade alone, child marriage has increased from 60% of Ethiopian marriages to only 40%. However, cultural norms such as the abduction of the bride, female bad mutilation and the marriage of cousins have made child marriage difficult, especially in traditional rural areas. In the end, attitudes must be changed, not just the law.
Yeserash's father, Simeneh, is given a mission to counter social norms regarding child marriage. Her daughter's experiences with obstetric fistula in Ethiopia have changed her perspective on the practice. He advises his neighbors, "Do not organize an early marriage.Let the girl consent to the marriage." After seeing the test of his daughter, he wants others to avoid his "painful mistake." He also promised Yeserash's sisters will not enter child marriages, but in the meantime Yeserash is content with her family and her young son and comments: "Now that I'm back to my normal life, I am also delighted. "
– Lydia Cardwell
Photo: Flickr
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