Health Ministry scales up fistula prevention programmes

The Ministry of Health has launched an obstetric fistula programme as a build-up to the success of the Ghana Health Service's Obstetric Fistula Prevention and Management Strategic Plan (GOFPMSP) for 2017-2021.

The obstetric fistula programme, launched in Accra on Wednesday by the Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, is under the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre, aimed at eradicating obstetric fistula in Ghana.

The Minister for Health, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, in a speech read for him, noted that obstetric fistula is a major health challenge for women in sub-Saharan Africa, adding that in Ghana, the condition is especially severe in underserved areas with limited access to quality maternal healthcare.

To address this critical issue, Dr Okoe-Boye said the Ghana Health Service's Obstetric Fistula Prevention and Management Strategic Plan (GOFPMSP) for 2017-2021, has detailed three principal components: prevention, which aims to ensure the availability of emergency obstetric care in remote areas; treatment, which focuses on enhancing the capacity of healthcare facilities, such as the Tamale Fistula Centre, to deliver high-quality surgical repairs and social reintegration, which recognises the importance of supporting women through vocational training and community education to mitigate stigma.

These strategies, he noted, constitute a comprehensive blueprint for effectively combating obstetric fistula.

He said the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre would build on the successes of previous years while introducing new strategies to strengthen prevention, treatment and social reintegration efforts. These include scaling up community outreach programmes and ensuring that the Tamale Fistula Centre becomes a regional centre of excellence for fistula care.

Madam Victoria Nyavor, a representative from the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, stated that the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) has launched several initiatives to support women and girls, adding that Ghana is among the selected countries benefiting from key programmes aimed at addressing the economic and health needs of women and girls.

“Some of the programmes include providing scholarships for girls to pursue specialised technical and vocational training, offering support to women and girls suffering from obstetric fistula and assisting women involved in processing agricultural, fishery and craft products.”

She added that a gender analysis tool was developed to ensure that the scholarships are awarded to deserving, brilliant but needy beneficiaries. Additionally, feedback mechanisms have been instituted to enhance the scholarship scheme, along with robust monitoring systems for effective program implementation by the Ministry.

“The scholarship package includes tuition fees and allowances, with undergraduate students receiving GHC3,000 annually, covering accommodation and book allowances, while graduate students are allocated GHC6,000 per year,” she said.

ECOWAS presented a cheque of $245,000 in support of women and girls affected by obstetric fistula across West Africa.