Thirty-one women, living with Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) in Bauchi communities have been successfully treated at Gamawa General Hospital, now a Fistula Treatment Centre in Gamawa Local Government of the state.
The Director, Fistula Foundation Nigeria (FFN), Mr Musa Isa, made this known while giving an update on the five-day Free Fistula Repair Campaign at Gamawa General Hospital.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign was funded by the Canadian Government, under the Global Affairs Canada Gender-Based Violence/Harmful Traditional Practices (GBV/HTP) project.
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The five-day campaign started from Sept. 7 and ended on Sept. 11.
The free fistula repair was a collaboration by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Bauchi State Ministry of Health and the Fistula Foundation Nigeria (FFN).
Isa said that the 31 repaired VVF patients were among the 53 women living with fistula mobilised from the communities.
He added that “all the women treated are recuperating well, thanks to Bauchi State Ministry of Health and thanks to our surgeons and the team.
“One of the patients, a nine-year-old girl had leaking urine as a result of rape, while two other patients were victims of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), aged 11 years and 14 years.
“Another two of the patients, aged six years and 16 years, had been living with congenital fistula.”
According to him, the Gamawa Fistula Treatment Centre has two doctors and four nurses, trained in basic fistula management.
“They will continue to conduct routine repairs.’’
The centre director thanked the government and people of Canada for making it possible to have a VVF treatment centre at Gamawa in Bauchi State.
He urged women and girls living with the condition from any part of the country to register at the centre for surgery to solve the problem.
NAN reports that VVF is an abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina that results in continuous and unremitting urinary incontinence.
The condition could be caused by prolonged labour during childbirth, rape or FGM.
However, it could be repaired through surgery.