“I was stressed, constantly worried and isolated from my community. I lived in my house as if I had some kind of contagious disease,” she said.
In Somalia, 6 out of 10 births occur without a doctor present, often leading to birth complications such as obstetric fistula.
I was living in my house as if I had some kind of contagious disease.
The condition affects millions of women around the world, and those in the Arab region (especially Yemen, Sudan and Somalia) are among the most affected, according to the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA).
This is largely due to limited access to basic and essential maternal health services.
“An estimated 171,000 pregnant women struggle to access life-saving maternal health care,” UNFPA reported.
Furthermore, the current humanitarian crisis in Somalia is worsening the situation.
Patients with obstetric fistula receive treatment at the Dayniile Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Malnutrition among pregnant and lactating women has reached critical levels, further increasing the risk of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications, such as premature birth and low birth weight in babies, according to the UN agency.
Journey to healing
Although recovery is a long and arduous road, it has also been marked by the support and compassion of friends and communities.
For Farhiya, a neighbor raised money so she could travel to Mogadishu for treatment. Unfortunately, the $800 surgery cost meant help was still out of reach.
Hope arose when another woman told her about a fistula campaign (a major community outreach effort combined with free fistula repair surgeries) at Dayniile Hospital.
With support from the Federal Ministry of Health, Physicians Across Continents and UNFPA, and funding from KSrelief, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, Farhiya once again found strength in her community.
Their collective support allowed him to travel to Mogadishu, where he eventually received life-changing reconstructive surgery.
“Most of the patients who come to us come from rural areas and each one has their own story, each one more painful than the other,” said Dr Aisha Abdulkadir Abdullahi, a member of the medical team at Dayniile Hospital.
“With the ongoing surgical and awareness campaigns, I am hopeful that the numbers will gradually decrease and one day the fistula will be completely eradicated,” he added.
For Nince, a 35-year-old mother of three, fistula surgery has truly changed her life.
“For five years I haven’t visited any family or been invited to any wedding. I was embarrassed to use public transportation,” he shares. “Now that I had surgery and I no longer have urine leaks, I have decided to visit my relatives.”