Nigeria accounts for 40% of Global Obstetric Fistula Cases, and the Root Causes Are Preventable
Each year, between 50,000 and 100,000 women worldwide develop obstetric fistula, a preventable childbirth injury that leads to chronic incontinence, stigma, and isolation. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that Nigeria alone accounts for 40% of these global cases. This staggering share makes Nigeria the epicentre of the global fistula crisis.
However, despite this significant burden, data from Nigeria remains sparse. What is available paints a worrying picture: over the past 13 years, from 2010 to 2022, 16,898 fistula repair surgeries were carried out across Nigeria’s 13 designated obstetric fistula repair centres.
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