Major Milestone Reached in Global Maternal Health

10,000 Women with Fistula Receive Life-Changing Surgery

WASHINGTON, March 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and EngenderHealth announced today that
10,000 women have received surgery for fistula with U.S. support since 2005.
Fistula, a devastating vaginal injury affecting millions of women in
developing countries, can be surgically repaired, but most of those with the
condition lack access to a skilled surgeon or health center, making treatment
out of reach.

"Today, the United States has achieved a major milestone in improving global
maternal health -- giving 10,000 women hope for a better life. None of this
would have been possible without the dedication of the local medical teams,
government officials, international partners, and the support of the American
people," said Gloria Steele, acting assistant administrator in USAID's Bureau
for Global Health. "But our work is just beginning."

Four years ago, USAID launched a global effort to both treat and prevent
fistula. To date, through initiatives such as the Fistula Care project, and in
collaboration with local governments, regional healthcare organizations and
faith based organizations, medical teams in 12 countries and 25 health
facilities across Africa and Asia have been trained to provide surgery for
fistula -- which can be repaired in up to 90 percent of cases.

Fistula is an injury caused by prolonged, obstructed labor that can occur when
the head of the baby cannot pass safely through the mother's birth canal. The
baby often dies and the mother is left with an abnormal opening in the birth
canal and chronic incontinence. If left untreated, fistula can lead to skin
ulcerations and infections, kidney disease, social isolation, and even death.

Fistula is almost entirely preventable. Making voluntary family planning
available to all could reduce maternal disability and death by at least 20
percent. Complementing that with skilled attendance at all births and
improving access to emergency obstetric care and caesarian section could make
fistula as rare as it is in the industrialized world. USAID and its partners
include strong prevention efforts in their programs, engaging all levels of
society -- raising awareness of fistula and its underlying causes that include
early pregnancy, poverty, and a lack of girls' education and women's
empowerment.

USAID's Fistula care project is managed by EngenderHealth and its partners
IntraHealth, CARE, Meridian Group International, Adventist Development and
Relief Agency (ADRA) and Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA). In
addition to increasing the number of trained surgeons and leading prevention
efforts, Fistula Care project sites offer counseling and support to help women
reintegrate into communities that may have shunned them.

Visit www.fistulacare.org for more information or contact
fistulacare@engenderhealth.org

For more information about USAID and its programs, please visit:
www.usaid.gov.

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development,
have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50
years.

Public Information: 202-712-4810

SOURCE U.S. Agency for International Development

USAID Press Office, +1-202-712-4320