At least 31 women have undergone obstetri fistula repair surgery at Gweru Provincial Hospital in what health officials say is the first specialised surgical camp of its kind in the Midlands province, highlighting both progress in treatment access and the persistent gaps in maternal health services.
The camp, supported by the United Nations Population Fund, the Ministry of Health and Child Care Zimbabwe and the German medical organisation Artemedis, has drawn women and girls from several provinces seeking corrective surgery for a condition that often leaves survivors socially isolated.
Obstetric fistula is a severe childbirth injury typically caused by prolonged or obstructed labour without timely medical intervention, resulting in a hole in the birth canal that leads to continuous leakage of urine or faeces.
Health experts say the condition remains closely linked to limited access to emergency obstetric care, early pregnancies, poverty and long travel distances to health facilities in rural communities.
According to global estimates from World Health Organization, between 50 000 and 100 000 new obstetric fistula cases occur worldwide each year, mostly in low-income countries with weak maternal healthcare systems.
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Zimbabwe has made progress in reducing maternal deaths, but gaps remain. Government and UN data indicate the country’s maternal mortality ratio stands at about 363 deaths per 100 000 live births, still significantly above the global target of 70 deaths per 100 000 births under the Sustainable Development Goals.
Before the launch of the Campaign to End Fistula in 2015, access to specialised repair surgery in Zimbabwe was extremely limited, leaving many women to live with the condition for years.
“At Gweru Provincial Hospital, the first-ever fistula repair surgery camp in the province has helped restore the dignity of at least 31 women and counting,” organisers said.
The initiative is funded through the Health Resilience Fund Zimbabwe, supported by development partners including the governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as the European Union.
While surgical camps have improved access to treatment, preventing fistula ultimately depends on strengthening maternal health systems, including improving rural maternity services, expanding access to skilled birth attendants and ensuring timely emergency obstetric care.
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