News

22 May, 2020

In Yemen and around the world, obstetric fistula strikes the most vulnerable women

AL HUDAYDAH, Yemen – Five years ago, Marwa* was a child bride living in the port city of Al Hudaydah. “I was almost 17 years old, and happy with my new life. I was a new bride and I got pregnant fast. I thought life was smiling at me,” she told UNFPA. She had no idea how quickly life would turn...

22 May, 2020

Safe birth services save lives, prevent childbirth injury in Tanzania

BARIADI, United Republic of Tanzania – Midwife Nuriat Koku Mtumbi remembers the day in March well: “It was raining heavily and Adimu* had delivered her baby on her way to our facility. “She was shielding herself under a tree” when she gave birth, Ms. Mtumbi recalled. Adiumu was in excruciating...

13 January, 2020

Leaving no one behind: Is the achievement of the SDGs possible without securing the dignity, rights, and well-being of those who are “invisible”?

This commentary, published in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, highlights crucial interventions required to end fistula. Fistula elimination necessitates protecting women's/girls’ human rights and addressing social determinants that affect their ability to “survive, thrive...