Ghana to Integrate Obstetric Fistula Care Into Free Primary Healthcare
Ghana's Deputy Minister for Health and Member of Parliament for Essikadu-Ketan, Hon. Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has announced plans to integrate obstetric fistula prevention, detection, and treatment into the country's free primary healthcare programme while expanding specialist surgical capacity under the Mahama Cares initiative.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament during deliberations on obstetric fistula, the Deputy Minister described the condition as one of the most devastating childbirth-related injuries affecting women, with far-reaching medical, social, and economic consequences.
Explaining the impact of the condition, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah said women suffering from Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) and Rectovaginal Fistula often endure continuous leakage of urine or stool, leading to severe stigma and social exclusion.
"When it's a VVF, the woman is constantly leaking urine. When it's rectovaginal, the woman is constantly leaking stool," she told lawmakers.
"Most of them, their husbands leave them with a baby and they can't even go to work. Because of that, they are stigmatized."
The Deputy Minister also raised concerns about Ghana's worsening maternal mortality situation, revealing that approximately 955 women died from pregnancy-related causes and childbirth complications in the past year.
"The maternal mortality index in Ghana is trending in the wrong direction," she said.
"Last year, we had about nine hundred and fifty-five women die in pregnancy or while they were getting delivery."
According to her, the government has decided to incorporate fistula-related interventions under the free primary healthcare programme rather than Mahama Cares because the majority of deliveries occur at the lower levels of the healthcare system.
"Most of these deliveries are happening at the CHPS compound level, at the health centre level and also at the polyclinic level," she explained.
"So the free primary healthcare will capture this condition because we can also use the community health nurses to talk about community sensitisation."
Dr. Ayensu-Danquah noted that although more than 80 per cent of women deliver with skilled birth attendants, concerns remain about the timely identification and management of high-risk pregnancies.
"Either we are not identifying them at the source, or there is something inherent in the operations that we are doing," she stated.
While prevention, community education, and early detection will be addressed through the primary healthcare system, the Deputy Minister said the Mahama Cares initiative would focus on developing the specialised workforce required to manage complex fistula cases.
"With the Mahama Cares, we will train the specialists who are going to do these operations because you need a urogynecologist," she said.
"A urogynecologist will not only work on fistulas but can also do other complex operations."
She further disclosed that government, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is establishing dedicated fistula treatment centres to improve access to specialised care and post-operative support.
"We have stand-alone fistula centres, one in Yendi where the family can even come and live there and then we can do the surgery and do appropriate post-operative care," she said.
The Deputy Minister revealed that she had recently undertaken visits to Kumasi, Yendi, and Tamale as part of efforts to assess and strengthen interventions addressing obstetric fistula and maternal health challenges.
She also announced that the Ministry of Health is finalising a comprehensive maternal mortality action plan, which will provide a clear roadmap for reducing maternal deaths and integrating obstetric fistula services into the country's free primary healthcare framework.
According to her, the strategy is expected to strengthen prevention, improve treatment outcomes, and ensure that more women receive timely access to quality maternal healthcare services across Ghana.
Tags: #MaternalHealth #ObstetricFistula #GhanaParliament #Healthcare #WomenHealth #MahamaCares #UNFPA #PublicHealth
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