Founded in 1995, Worldwide Fistula Fund is a nonprofit that provides comprehensive care for women and girls who suffer from devastating childbirth injuries such as obstetric fistula and pelvic organ prolapse. We also train doctors, nurses and physical therapists to prevent and treat childbirth injuries to increase access to and build capacity for quality obstetric care in Africa. Obstetric fistula is a devastating childbirth injury caused by prolonged, obstructed labor. Prolonged pressure from the baby crushes a mother's soft tissues against her pelvic bones and destroys it, leaving a hole. A woman with obstetric fistula leaks urine or feces uncontrollably. The baby dies in most cases. The injured woman is often rejected by her husband, shunned by her community and lives in isolation. Two million women currently suffer from obstetric fistula, mostly in developing nations where access to quality obstetric care is limited. WFF is currently active in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger and Uganda.
