Transforming Lives: How Comprehensive Community-Based Rehabilitation
Hospital in Tanzania is Combating Obstetric Fistula.
Abstract
Obstetric fistula (OF) is a physically and psychologically debilitating
medical condition that impacts vulnerable women in Tanzania. It occurs
primarily as a result of prolonged labor, which leads to the formation
of an abnormal opening between the bladder or rectum and the vagina, and
can cause severe incontinence, stigma, and social isolation.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been instrumental in
providing assistance and support to vulnerable women with obstetric
fistula in Tanzania. This study investigated the various interventions
implemented by NGOs in Tanzania to help women suffering from obstetric
fistula. The study aimed to identify the strategies employed by NGOs to
address obstetric fistula among vulnerable women, as well as explore
factors that influence the delivery of obstetric fistula services. By
using the Comprehensive Community-Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania
(CCBRT) as a case study, the study establishes that Tanzania’s largest
provider of fistula surgery (CCBRT) has implemented various initiatives,
including expansion of joint delivery services, an m-pesa mobile
outreach program, an ambassadorial network, and an improvement of
service quality, to assist vulnerable women, particularly those in
remote areas. The study concludes that obstetric fistula is a
debilitating condition that continues to affect vulnerable women in
Tanzania, and NGOs have played a critical role in providing
interventions to alleviate the impact of this condition on women in the
country.