Obstetric fistula is an injury that results from prolonged, obstructed labour. It leaves women incontinent and typically, isolated from their families and communities. Hundreds of thousands of women suffer in shame and silence from this debilitating condition. Obstetric fistula is perhaps one of the worst examples of inequitable access to maternal health care.
Estimates suggest that between 2 million and 3.5 million women live with obstetric fistula in the developing world. Each year, between 50,000 and 100,000 new cases develop. UNFPA and partners launched the Campaign to End Fistula in 2003, which is present in 50 countries in Africa, Asia and the Arab region.
The General Assembly calls on the international community to use the International Day to raise awareness and intensify actions towards ending obstetric fistula.
