USAID Project Treats Nigerian Women with Reproductive Tract Afflictions

Voice of America has reported on The ACQUIRE Project, one of EngenderHealth’s programs supporting treatment of women with fistula.

“Helping USAID in its effort is an NGO called ACQUIRE – or Access, Quality and Use in Reproductive Health. Together, they are working to prevent and repair fistula, or V.V.F. It’s an abnormal opening or passageway between the birth canal and one of the internal organs, including the bladder. Fistula can occur during obstructed labor or by tears in the birth canal inflicted during female circumcision, or Yankan gishiri’, in Hausa. Waste material seeps through the passage, often leading an unpleasant – and embarrassing – odor. But with surgery, the passageway can be sealed.”

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