A Non Governmental Organisation, InterMediation Nigeria, has emphasised the importance of community education, government intervention, and corporate social responsibility, to address the issue of Obstetric Vesico-Vaginal Fistula holistically, through medical care, rehabilitation, and reintegration of survivors into the society.
The Founder and Programme Coordinator of the Organisation, Dr. Anthonia Mbaeri, stated this at a skills acquisition and VVF treatment fundraising programme in Abuja.
While highlighting the NGO’s efforts in granting medical care to the survivors, Dr. Mbaeri, said that the cost of VVF treatment, was two million Naira per person which had stalled access to management and care for some of its survivors.
She stressed the need for more awareness with regards to the causes, management and cost of the repair.
”We need to start from the grassroot level first, creating awareness within the community about the causes of VVF, how to prevent it, and if it does occur, how to manage it.
“When it does occur, especially among these women who are financially unable to look after themselves, we need people out there to create awareness, to raise funds for them, for the treatment”.
The Chief Consultant Fistula Surgeon, Dr Saad Idris Dr Saad Idris, attributed VVF to prolong obstructed labour, accidents, cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation and poor awareness.
Dr. Idris, who is also VVF trainer, maintained that poverty, delay in accessing medical interventions and inadequate medical equipments, were some of the predisposing factors to VVF.
Mrs Gloria Onwuzurike, who represented the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, expressed gratitude to the organisation for supporting the government to provide care and treatment for VVF survivors.
A VVF survivor, Mrs Loveth Ogunsoji, narrated the experience she had after the delivery of her second child.
“Initially. I didn’t know there was a problem, but I used to say that, why is it that after going to the toilet, I’ll still see faeces in my body. So the first surgery, I went through the help of the NGO sustainable healthcare, I got repaired.”
Mrs Ogunsoji added that through the intervention of some NGOs, she was able to undergo surgery for repairs to stop leakage of faeces and urine from her body.
Highlights of the event were fundraising for survivors, skill exhibitions, donation of cash gifts and empowerment tools to the beneficiaries of the skills acquisition initiative.
InterMediation Nigeria, IMN, is an NGO that was set up in 2015, with the primary aim of identifying and attending to the wholistic care of women living with Vesico-Vaginal Fistula, VVF.
Vesicovaginal fistula, VVF, is an abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina that results in continuous and unremitting urinary incontinence.
