Rukwa leads in fistula cases, new study shows

RUKWA Region has the highest number of women with fistula problems, followed by Mbeya and Katavi, a study by CCBRT shows.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, CCBRT Chief Executive Officer Brenda Msangi said many women with fistula problems had limited financial capacity to meet treatment costs.

“CCBRT as one of the stakeholders in addressing fistula in our country, we have been providing considerable contribution to the treatment and prevention of this problem,” she said, adding that they had improved the infrastructure of maternity wards and surgery rooms in hospitals and health centres.”

According to the CCBRT study, about 30 per cent of women from Rukwa Region have fistula problems.

CCBRT has since 2003 treated more than 7,000 mothers, most of them coming from poor families.

United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) Reproductive Health, Mother and Child, Programme Manager Felister Mbwana said every day, more than 800 women worldwide lost lives due to pregnancy-related problems.

Ms Mbwana noted that this year, 10,000 women and girls were undergoing surgery and maintenance of fistula under UNFPA support.

CCBRT Fistula Surgeon, Dr James Chapa, said there was still a shortage of specialised medical experts to handle fistula cases.

Amref Health Africa’s Country Director for Tanzania, Dr Florence Temu, said they would continue contributing to the provision of better reproductive health services and also they had treated 12,523 patients with fistula cases in the country.

Article first published on https://www.dailynews.co.tz/news/2019-05-225ce54be4db06b.aspx