ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is emerging as a regional “leader” in the treatment and prevention of obstetric fistula, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Friday, highlighting efforts to train surgeons from across South Asia to address one of the world’s most devastating childbirth injuries.
Obstetric fistula, caused by prolonged obstructed labor or surgical injury during childbirth procedures, leaves women incontinent and often socially isolated. While the condition has largely been eliminated in wealthier countries, thousands of women in Pakistan continue to suffer from it every year because of inadequate maternal health care, unsafe surgeries and limited access to skilled birth attendants.
Pakistan records an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 fistula cases annually, according to UNFPA and Pakistani health experts, while globally around 500,000 women and girls are believed to be living with the condition.
Maternal health remains a major challenge in Pakistan, where the maternal mortality ratio stands at 186 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to UNFPA’s maternal health program data.
“UNFPA Pakistan broke the ground to address this evolving crisis by establishing a Regional Center of Excellence for fistula care, training and innovation at Koohi Goth Hospital (KGH) Karachi which has become a national referral hub for fistula repair for patients and a training facility for surgeons,” UNFPA Pakistan Representative Luay Shabaneh said in a statement issued on the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula.
The statement said the center had already hosted regional training programs for surgeons from Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan, positioning Pakistan as “a leader of fistula treatment in the region.”
“For repairs, the Center is aiming to treat around 800 fistula survivors every year,” the statement added, saying the program also included psychosocial support, literacy and vocational training for survivors.
The Karachi-based Koohi Goth Hospital has increasingly become central to Pakistan’s fistula response. UNFPA said the hospital has trained thousands of health care workers and surgeons while expanding free treatment and rehabilitation services for women suffering from childbirth-related injuries.
However, Shabaneh warned that Pakistan faced a growing problem of surgically caused fistula, also known as iatrogenic fistula.
“In Pakistan, a staggering 70 percent of cases of fistula are caused by surgical injuries,” he said.
“These sobering ratios demand immediate action for emergency obstetric care and the quality and safety of surgical services.”
According to UNFPA, Pakistan has conducted more than 5,000 competency-based trainings for health care providers and established a network of 23 specialized fistula surgeons alongside trained nurses and anesthetists.
The UN agency said untreated fistula also carried a major economic cost because women suffering from the condition are often unable to work or participate fully in society.
“The cost of untreated fistula, measured in lost productivity alone, is estimated globally at nearly $691 million each year,” Shabaneh said.
“Every repaired fistula restores not only a woman’s health, but also her confidence, her social connections and her future.”
