ECOWAS Gender Centre supports fistula in Ghana with $245,000

The ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) has presented a cheque of $245,000 to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in Accra to rehabilitate the Tamale Fistula Centre in the Northern Region.

The fistula centre will, thus, receive a facelift, and have an additional theatre to support an already existing one, an anaesthesia machine and new beds, among others.

The cheque was presented last Friday at the launch of four gender programmes being implemented by the EGDC in Ghana on the theme: “Strengthening Women’s Health Needs and Social Empowerment”.

Favourable environment

The Director of the EGDC, Sandra Oulate Fattoh, who presented the cheque to the Director of the Department of Gender of the Ministry, Faustina Acheampong, said the Centre aimed to help improve women’s and girls’ access to basic social services, particularly in the area of education and health.

She said the EGDC’s overall aim was to help strengthen advocacy for the adoption of appropriate legal mechanisms to combat the scourge while also strengthening advocacy with state authorities to integrate fistula into national health development programmes.

Every year, 1,300 women get obstetric fistula in Ghana. However, only 100 can undergo surgery and repair due to several factors, including financial and lack of enough facilities.

Obstetric Fistula is when a woman goes through prolonged labour, which sometimes creates a passage between the rectum and vagina.

Thousands of women

The Head, National Fistula Taskforce, Dr Gabriel Ganyaglo, who represented the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Hafiz Adam, in a remark, thanked the EGDC for the support, saying it would go a long way to help the thousands of women who were suffering from the disease, especially in the northern part of the country.

He said the Tamale Fistula Centre built and furnished in 2005 by the UNFPA is a beacon of hope for many women in the northern part of the country.

He added that the money presented will help the centre undergo significant upgrades to enhance its capacity to provide holistic care to those affected by Obstetric Fistula.

According to him, when refurbished, the centre would be fully equipped to offer not only surgical repairs but also comprehensive psychological and social support services.

He added that this holistic approach was vital for women's full recovery and reintegration into their communities.

The Director of the Department of Gender, Mrs Acheampong, who represented the Minister, MoGCSP, Dakoa Newman, commended the EGDC for its gesture, saying it would go a long way to alleviate the plight of many women who have been living in isolation due to the stigmatisation of fistula in the country.

Challenging health issue

The Minister of Health, Dr Okoe Boye who was represented by Dr Ignitius Awinubonu, Director, of Allied Health Sciences at the ministry, said obstetric fistula remained one of the most challenging health issues women faced in sub-Saharan Africa.

He said in Ghana, the burden of this condition was particularly severe in rural and underserved areas, where access to quality maternal healthcare was often limited. 

Writer’s email:rebecca.quaicoe-duho@graphic.com.gh