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By Seyi Babalola
Today, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Fistula Foundation launched the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network (FFTN) in Nigeria, a nationwide effort to end the suffering caused by obstetric fistula, a tragic yet treatable childbirth injury.
Obstetric fistula, caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without access to timely medical care, leaves women incontinent and too often isolated from their communities. Nigeria bears the world’s highest burden of fistula, with an estimated 114,000 women currently affected and 12,000 new cases developing each year. A surgery can cure a woman for life.
“For too long, too many Nigerian women have suffered in silence,” said Fistula Foundation CEO Pam Lowney. “By establishing a coordinated network that unites surgeons, hospitals, outreach partners and government stakeholders, we will bring high-quality care closer to home for hundreds of women each year and ensure that no woman is left behind.”
Since 2010, Fistula Foundation has partnered with local hospitals to deliver free, life-transforming surgeries to affected women across Nigeria. The FFTN in Nigeria expands treatment by increasing the number of surgeries provided each year, improving referral networks—especially for complex cases—investing in training for healthcare providers, and strengthening outreach and rehabilitation efforts to improve patient outcomes.
“This network is a lifeline for Nigerian women, their families, and communities, who will not have to pay anything to access this care,” said Dr Binyerem Ukaire, the Director Family Health Department at the Federal Minister of Health and Social Welfare in Nigeria. “With the FFTN in Nigeria, we are mobilizing expertise, resources and partnerships to restore health and hope to women nationwide.”
Transforming Care Across Nigeria
FFTN in Nigeria builds on successful networks already operating in Kenya, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania. In Nigeria, the network will unite eight hospitals and grassroots partners to deliver life-changing surgeries, train local health professionals, and expand outreach to the hardest-to-reach communities.
By 2027, FFTN in Nigeria aims to:
Increase surgeries from 1,400 in 2024 to more than 2,500 annually
Train 12+ surgeons and 100+ healthcare workers in advanced fistula care
Mobilize 200+ community “fistula ambassadors” to identify and refer women in need
Improve surgical outcomes so more women return to their communities fully healed
Expand reintegration programs, offering skills training, counselling, and long-term support
A United Front
FFTN in Nigeria brings together leading fistula care partners including:
Bashir Foundation for Fistula and Women’s Health
Dame Olayinka Obaleye Obstetric Fistula Center
Dogon Nasara Fistula Foundation
Evangel Vesico-Vaginal Fistula Center
Family Life Centre/VVF Hospital
Fistula Foundation Nigeria
RAiSE Foundation
Sustainable Family Health Foundation.
