President’s Appeal December 10 2008:
‘Restoring Dignity - Securing a Future’
(Desta Mender Village)
This year, President Margaret Lobo has decided to continue the 2007 President’s Appeal and provide much needed further support to the women and girls of Desta Mender Village at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia.
Our Partner
We continue to partner with the Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund, a registered charity dedicated to supporting the work of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital.
The Need
A fistula is an unnatural tear or hole between two organs. Obstructed labour can cause a fistula to the birth passage, bladder and sometimes the rectum. As a result a woman leaks urine constantly. Women suffering from fistula injuries experience rejection, separation, loneliness and shame. Whist fistula injuries have largely disappeared from developed nations, the rate remains high in developing countries where many women have little or no access to medical care, are malnourished and marry at a young age. It is estimated that 8,000 women, in Ethiopia alone, suffer obstetric fistulae each year.
The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital was set up by Drs Catherine and Reg Hamlin in 1974 to address an overwhelming need. More than 3,000 patients are now being treated each year with a success rate of 93% - more than double the number of women treated in 2005. Most are able to return home within a few weeks. A number of women who cannot be completely cured and need ongoing medical care are supported in the Desta Mender Village, opened in 2002, where they also receive skills and vocational training. The Hospital relies on donations for the continuation and expansion of this vital work.
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