South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The national Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and with support from the Embassy of Norway, has developed a plan to Scale Up Routine Surgeries as 60,000 Fistula Cases Remain Largely Untreated.
“We have been conducting extensive awareness campaigns, but the government has now changed its focus to routine surgery. We have 60,000 cases of fistula, yet only 1,000 are treated,” Akech Deng, the National Fistula Coordinator at Juba Teaching Hospital, on Friday at Juba Teaching Hospital during the celebration of the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula.
He mentioned that the government has shifted its awareness campaigns to end obstetric fistula toward routine surgery in various health facilities across the country.
Joyce Diko, Program Officer for Women, Peace and Security at the Embassy of Norway, stated that Norway is committed, in partnership with UNFPA, to earmark funds for the fistula program in 2025.
“We believe eradicating fistula is not just a medical intervention; it is about affirming the rights of women to self-childbirth, to health, and to a life free of pain and shame. Every woman who receives treatment means a life is saved,” Diko said “There is an alarming rise in obstetric fistula cases in the country. In January this year, we operated on 60 fistula patients in Wau and 45 in Juba. Currently, we have registered 22 patients waiting for surgery in Juba,” Deng added.
Gillian Butts-Garnett, Program Specialist for Midwifery at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), stated that obstetric fistula reflects inequalities in access to health care and the injustices regarding how the health system values women’s health and lives.
“We know that for every life lost, there are 20 or 30 more who are left with devastating injuries such as obstetric fistula. These are not just medical complications; they are stories of isolation, loss of dignity, and interrupted dreams,” Butts-Garnett said.
Emmanuel Samuel, a 17-year-old survivor of obstetric fistula and a resident of Lologo, described obstetric fistula as an unspeakable medical condition that often leads to trauma, stigma, and isolation.
Samuel advised young girls across the country to focus on their education, adding that obstetric fistula can be avoided by ending early child marriage, one of the main contributing factors.
“I had the worst experience with obstetric fistula. I became pregnant at a young age, developed complications, and was taken to the hospital. The doctor ordered surgery, which failed, and I was taken in again for a second operation,” Samuel recounted.
Yusuf Deng, the Director for Safe Motherhood at the Directorate of Preventive Health Services at the Ministry of Health, emphasized the need for increased efforts to prevent obstetric fistula.
“We know that obstetric fistula results from a culmination of many factors. We need to intensify our efforts to educate communities to end early child marriages, which contribute to obstetric fistula,” Deng stated.
“We need our members of parliament to implement policies and legislation that will end early child marriage. Without collaboration from our donors and support from UNFPA, it will not be easy to eradicate fistula,” he added.
In December 2024, Norway, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, earmarked approximately 2.2 million United States dollars for treating obstetric fistula, a medical condition that often leads to urinary incontinence as a result of teenage pregnancy.
