The prevention of fistula is only possible with women and girls having access to timely, quality maternal healthcare. Freedom From Fistula is committed to helping eradicate fistulas by offering maternal health support. We deliver 4000+ babies per year and provide pre and post natal care, safe deliveries, health education and family planning. Our training programme for local Medical Officers is ongoing and we support the training of student midwives when possible.
Our Aberdeen Women's Centre in Sierra Leone takes a holistic approach to the care of women and children and in 2010 opened its own maternity unit to provide the highest standards of maternal healthcare for the women of Sierra Leone, thus preventing the occurrence of obstetric fistula in the first instance and ensuring a safe environment for childbirth. The Maternity is now the second busiest in Sierra Leone, delivering up to 3,000 babies each year.
Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world - 1,360 out of 100,000 with almost four women dying every day in childbirth. In contrast the UK rate is 7 out of 100,000 which means a woman in Sierra Leone is almost 200 times more likely to die in childbirth than her peer in the UK.
The maternity unit at our Aberdeen Women’s Centre in Sierra Leone remained very busy throughout 2022 with 2595 deliveries (2071 normal deliveries, 510 c-sections including 636 teenage mums)
In Malawi the maternal mortality rate is 349 out of 100,000. Our funding for maternity services at the Achikondi Community Clinic, Mtengowantenga Catholic Hospital and Chiluzi Antenatal Clinic helped them safely deliver 1106 babies (614 at Achikondi Community Clinic, 362 at MCH Mission Hospital and 130 at Chiluzi ANC).
Fatu from Mabontor village, mile 91, Sierra Leone is a VVF Patient who first accessed AWC’s facility in 2015.
She came complaining that she was left leaking urine after delivering her first child at the PCMH hospital. She got to know about our services through our screening team who went to Waterloo near her village.
Fatu's first surgery was not successful, as can be the case, so she had to go back with an appointment date for 2016. She came, surgery was done for the second time and was still unfortunately not successful. In March 2018 Fatu returned to AWC for a c-section after falling pregnant and although not completely dry was given a plug after the operation to help ease the symptoms of her fistula.
Fatu has been using this plug until she fell pregnant again in August 2020 and came to AWC, informing the nurses and returning frequently for check ups. Fatu safely delivered two beautiful babies through C-section at AWC on the 14th of April 2021.
Fatu is very happy and grateful to AWC for their support and relentless effort through out her VVF surgeries and delivering process.
“Ah tell papa God tenki for e guidance n protection over me life tae to this time ya tday wae r d discharge na hospitul. R d tell d docta n nurs dem tendi for dem patience wae den get for take care of we, God go mus bless ouna all.”
Translation:
Fatu is saying thank you to God for his guidance and protection over her life and up to this time that she will be discharged from AWC Hospital. She is also saying thank you to the Doctors and Nurses for their patience and the time they spent taking care of her and her babies. May God bless all of us who supported her in different ways.
