Having suffered from Fistula for 12 years, Workinesh Loha understands the dire consequences of home delivery. Workinesh developed Fistula from prolonged labor during her first pregnancy. This pregnancy resulted in stillbirth and since, she has had three more at home deliveries while suffering from Fistula.
Due to problems that arose from her condition, Workinesh’s husband left her, moved to a different zone and remarried. Workinesh was forced to move in with her poor mother along with her three children. There, she stayed awaiting her death completely unaware that her condition was treatable.
Opportunely, Workinesh heard about support for Fistula cases from a health extension worker. With the collaboration of Africa Humanitarian Action and its partners, Workinesh was taken to the Yirgalem Hamlin Fistula Hospital where she was cured after a three-week treatment. She now eagerly advocates for hospital delivery in her community.
According to the Ethiopian Minsitry of Health, about 85% of Ethiopian women deliver at home. Of these, one in three uses traditional birth attendants while the others use relatives. AHA in Ethiopia works to improve healthcare for newborns and mothers in 28 districts in various zones of Southern Ethiopia. AHA’s services include providing information on safe delivery and identifying women silently suffering from Fistula to facilitate their treatment.
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