On 27th of May 2026, the SafeBirth4All coalition hosted its annual conference at the Marino Institute in Dublin to advocate for the elimination of Obstetric Fistula (OF) and raise awareness of the realities for the millions of women across the world who live with the condition. The conference was timed to coincide with the UN’s annual awareness event, International Day to End Obstetric Fistula (23rd May).
The theme at this year’s conference was ‘Hope, Healing and a World Without Obstetric Fistula’. The conference welcomed guest speaker Sylvia Ngozi Ndubuaku, West Africa Area Leader for the Medical Missionaries of Mary.
At the conference, the SafeBirth4All coalition spotlighted PART – the four pillars driving change in the fight against obstetric fistula: prevention, advocacy, rehabilitation and treatment.
You can watch a free recording of the conference here or find out more at www.safebirth4all.com.
What is Obstetric Fistula?
Obstetric Fistula (OF) is a debilitating childbirth injury resulting from a prolonged or obstructed labour without access to emergency medical intervention. The injury causes an abnormal opening (fistula) between a woman’s genital tract and her urinary tract and/or rectum, which leads to permanent incontinence. Some 2 million women and girls are estimated to be living with OF, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, with an estimated 50,000-100,000 new cases annually, yet worldwide the treatment capacity is approximately 15,000 cases a year.
OF is a preventable condition and in developed countries like Ireland with established social and healthcare systems, OF is mostly eradicated.
The medical impact of OF is devastating but there are also the pyscho-social effects on a woman resulting from the stigma of incontinence, isolation from family and community, and economic hardship due to lack of access to work and livelihood opportunities.
Some women report living with OF for over 50 years. While many OF injuries can be repaired through surgery, there are few trained fistula repair surgeons, and the cost is prohibitive for most women in developing countries.
SafeBirth4All Campaign
The SafeBirth4All campaign is spearheaded by a coalition of organisations that include the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI), the Medical Missionaries of Mary, Rights Proof and Misean Cara, and was launched by Sabina Higgins, in Dublin in May 2024.
The SafeBirth4All campaign emphasises the devastating medical and psycho-social impact of OF and supports key initiatives to ensure its prevention through holistic and rights-based interventions, including access to quality healthcare, education, and advocacy. Early initiatives have included raising global awareness of OF, strengthening partnerships with traditional birth attendants and healthcare workers, and engaging local and national leaders to integrate OF prevention and treatment into policies.
