Pathfinder International

Obstetric fistula is a devastating condition that causes physical and psychological trauma for the women who endure it. Yet the condition is completely preventable through timely access to high-quality emergency obstetric care.

As Pathfinder's Ritah Waddimba writes this compelling op-ed:

"Delays in identifying a misaligned fetus, poor management of difficult labor, and hesitant or poorly executed surgical decisions directly translate into preventable structural injuries.

From a health systems perspective, obstetric fistula is the ultimate diagnostic indicator of a breakdown in quality."

Pathfinder's programme has supported 48 women to access fistula repair and care. These women have regained their health, dignity, and the opportunity to participate fully in their communities.

The op-ed calls for policymakers and partners to institutionalize standardized emergency obstetric training, strengthen clinical governance through on-site mentorship and rigid quality assurance systems, and scale up investments in women’s health.

We must ensure no woman ever leaves a health facility with a life altering injury caused by a gap in clinical skills.

Read the op-ed: https://bit.ly/4u3sTwh

Picture: Agaba received treatment at a fistula repair camp in Mubende, Uganbda, hosted by EMPOWERUg.

You're invited! Join Population Services International, ThinkPlace Global Network, Orpesi Collective, RAES, A360, Jhpiego, JSI and Pathfinder International for our upcoming webinar:

Capturing What Matters: A Human-Centered Design Documentation Guide Launch Webinar & Conversation with Co-authors
Date: Tuesday 16 June 2026
Time: 4:00 PM East Africa / 3:00 PM South Africa / 2:00 PM West Africa / 9:00 AM Eastern

Register: https://bit.ly/3RlEzNc

Great HCD work is happening across global public health and development every day. Too much of it never gets documented, and the field loses something every time that happens.

Participate in the launch of a new guide: Capturing What Matters -- a practical tool to help you capture your process, share what you learned, and contribute to a stronger collective knowledge base for HCD in our sector.

Join the co-authors for a one-hour webinar where we'll walk through the guide, discuss the challenges of documentation, and share examples from practitioners doing it well. We'll also look at how to keep HCD knowledge and the community active in this time of contracting funding.

Anissa Fataou and her husband, Soumana, live with their four children in Harikanassou village in Niger’s Dosso region. Although married for 12 years, Anissa and Soumana found it difficult to communicate openly about family planning. Like many other couples in rural Niger, their perceptions of family planning were shaped by myths and misinformation.

See how Pathfinder's J-Matassa project reached Anissa and Soumana with reproductive health care and tools for couples' communication:

Dissolving Mistrust through Dialogue: How the RMA Model Transformed the Life of a Couple in Niger - Pathfinder International Anissa Fataou and her husband, Soumana, live with their four children in Harikanassou village, located in the Boboye health district of Niger’s Dosso region. Although married for 12 years, Anissa and Soumana found it difficult to communicate openly about family planning. Like many other couples in...