Nigeria Accounts for 40% of Global Fistula Cases, Says UNFPA

By Okon Bassey

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has revealed that Nigeria accounts for 40 percent of Fistula cases in the world.

The Head, UNFPA, Dr. Omolaso Omosehin, disclosed this yesterday at the 21st National Council on Women Affairs taking place in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

Omosehin maintained that though UNFPA has a robust Fistula project in Nigeria, a lot still needed to be done.

She highlighted the repair cases undertaken by UNFPA to be 3,000 a year in Nigeria.

According to Omosehin, the main causes of Fistula are prolonged labour due to early marriage by underage girls, sexual violence, harmful traditional practice, unskilled birth attendance among others.

Speaking further, the head of UNFPA said 12, 560 repairs have been supported by UNFPA while a total of 5,000 cases have been successfully repaired and established economically.

Omosehin enumerated the challenges faced in reducing Fistula cases to include poor political will, lack of national data base, weak health systems among others.