UNFPA Aids Surgery For 6,214 Patients

Senior Special Assistant on Administration to the Deputy Governor, Barr. Gilbert Nria (left), receiving an Award of Fellows of the Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology on behalf of the deputy governor from the Acting Provost of the College, Dr. Nnamdi Amadi, at the 15th convocation ceremony of the college in Port Harcourt recently. With them is the Registrar, Mrs Patricia Lawson

The United Nations Popu
lation Fund (UNFPA) says it has supported 6,214 women and girls in Nigeria with the provision of free fistula repair surgery.
The UNFPA Country Representative, Mrs Ratidzai Ndhlovu made this known this while handing over 40 fistula surgical kits to three national fistula centres and five state centres in Abuja last Friday.
Revealing that the national centres were located in Katsina, Bauchi and Ebonyi and the state centres as Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Plateau and Oyo, Ndhlovu explained that the measure was aimed at expanding access to free and quality fistula treatment services to a large number of women awaiting surgery nationwide further noted that the agency, in recognition of limited opportunities for surgical cure and social care for women suffering from obstetric fistula, spearheaded global campaign in 2003 to end fistula.
She described the long-term goals of the agency as ending fistula in the country, adding that the agency was also committed to ensuring the prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and re-integration of women currently suffering from fistula.
The UNFPA country representative noted that many young girls urinate and defecate uncontrollably due to damage to those channels caused by protracted labour.
She said: “UNFPA, in 2003, spearheaded the campaign to end fistula with the objectives to help, prevent, treat, rehabilitate and reintegrate these women into their respective communities.
“UNFPA actively supported the establishment of Fistula Treatment Centres in Kano, Ebonyi, Zaria, Sokoto, Kebbi and Rivers states, trained 52 doctors and 94 nurses in fistula surgery and supplied fistula treatment kits and consumables.
“Overall, UNFPA has supported the provision of free fistula repair surgery to 6,214 women and girls and economic rehabilitation of 775 women and girls,’’ she said.