At the Aberdeen Women’s Centre (AWC) in Freetown, Sierra Leone, women from around the country receive life-changing surgery to repair obstetric fistula. This year, AWC opened an emergency obstetric services department so that more women have the chance to avoid developing this devastating and eminently preventable condition.
EngenderHealth’s Fistula Care Project, supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), partners with the Aberdeen Women’s Centre, where more than 1,000 fistula repairs have been performed since the partnership began in 2007. Restoring health and dignity to the women of Sierra Leone is a tall order, given that the nation’s rate of maternal mortality is among the highest in the world. Now, in addition to supporting fistula repair services (e.g., surgeries, postoperative care, nutrition, housing, and patient recruitment), Fistula Care is supporting training for nurse midwives, medical supplies, and prenatal screenings in the new maternity wing.
