charity

The feeling of becoming a mother is one of the most beautiful feelings in a woman's life. In Europe and other developed regions we are so fortunate to see pregnancy as a time of joy. But in many countries, these joyful thoughts are also connected with the fear of losing one's own life or the life of the baby during pregnancy or at birth. Even though the world has made great progress in maternal health in recent years, still 820 women per day die from complications during childbirth and pregnancy - 99% of them in developing countries.

Most of all this includes obstretric fistula, a serious injury in the vaginal area, predominantly caused by prolonged obstructed labour. Between two and three million girls and women across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are affected by obstretric fistula. They suffer constant urinary incontinence which often leads to social isolation, skin infections, kidney disorders and even death if left untreated. Affected women are often abandoned by their husbands and families, and ostracized by their communities.

One of the main reasons for this devastating birth injury is the age of first pregnancy. Many women in developing countries are being married as teenagers or children. Despite their age, the usually much older men want to "consummate the marriage" and the too young wife becomes pregnant. Their immature bodies are not ready for giving birth and after days of labour the babies are often born dead and the mothers suffer from fistulae.

It is estimated that up to 3.5 million women worldwide live with vaginal fistulas. In Ethiopia alone, 9,000 cases are added annually. Obstretric fistulae can largely be avoided by delaying the age of first pregnancy and by timely access to quality obstetric care, especially caesarean section.

Also, in most cases, fistulae could be corrected by surgery: 90 percent of all vaginal fistulae are curable.

The Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung is a German Charity Organisation that fights for the human right to self-determined family planning. They campaign for accessible, timely, and high quality maternal and skilled birth care, basic and comprehensive emergency obstretric care, and affordable treatment of fistulae.

Giving back to those less fortunate is very important for me. With your support, we as mothers (or soon-to-be mothers) are helping other mothers who are in need. Thank you!

xo Hanna-Lou