Fistula Foundation believes that no woman should have to suffer a life of shame and isolation simply for trying to bring a child into the world. We are dedicated to raising awareness of and funding for obstetric fistula, a wrenching childbirth injury, in Africa and Asia.

Obstetric fistula is one of the most devastating health conditions in the world, afflicting more than a million women and girls in developing countries.  Eradicated from western countries a century ago with advances in caesarian sections, obstetric fistula results from prolonged, obstructed labor without access to emergency care.

The physical misery of continually leaking urine, feces, or both is compounded by the shame, stigma, and isolation so many of these women experience. In many countries in Africa and Asia, women suffer for years or even decades because they aren’t aware that treatment is available – or even that their condition is treatable. 

The only cure for obstetric fistula is surgery.  Fistula Foundation funds more of these specialized surgeries than any organization or government in the world. Fistula treatment is one of the most cost-effective investments in global health. This powerful one-time intervention can move a woman from incontinence and ostracism and give her back the potential for decades of a healthy life.