No fewer than 1,600 women with obstetric fistula have undergone surgery to resolve the condition under the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, Fistula-Free Programme, FFP, initiative of the federal government.
Head, Standards and Quality Assurance Unit of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr Saka Agboola, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday in Ilorin.
Agboola said the initiative was aimed at providing free surgeries, rehabilitation and health insurance coverage for women with obstetric fistula.
“Government realised that the number of Fistula centres in the country were very few, hence the need to increase it to 18 nationwide.
“With this initiative, over 1,600 cases of Fistula has been resolved,”he said.
Agboola said Nigeria is on a mission to reduce the health status of 400,000 women with obstetric fistula by reducing maternal and neonatal mortality
NAN reports that Fistula is an abnormal connection or hole between two organs or vessels that should not be connected.
Among such is obstetric fistula, which occurs between the vagina and bladder (vesicovaginal fistula) or rectum (rectovaginal fistula).
This is often experienced when a woman has had prolonged labour without access to proper medical care.
Agboola noted that developing countries account for the higher burden of the disease with about one million cases.
He added that through the programme, patients are saved from financial and physical pain, with feeding, transportation and stipend covered. (NAN)
