Pregnancy is a major cause of fistula in teens says official
Teenage pregnancy has been identified as one of the factors that contribute largely to the high number of fistula cases in Bungoma county.
County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Health and Sanitation Dr Andrew Wamalwa says that last year there were about 13,000 cases of teenage pregnancies reported in the area, most of which involved girls between the ages of 10 to 19 years.
He pointed out that female genital mutilation, malnutrition, abortion, home deliveries, and sexual gender-based violence as the other causes of the condition and called for concerted efforts by stakeholders and the community to curb these practices in the area.
Screening and treatment
Dr Wamalwa was speaking at Webuye County Hospital during a five-day screening and treatment of the Fistula condition.
The exercise which saw 40 surgeries done and 268 screening cases carried out for patients was jointly organised by Mpesa Foundation, Royal Media Services, The Flying Doctors’ Society of Africa and AMREF, in partnership with the County Government of Bungoma.
The Deputy Governor Bungoma County Jennifer Mbatiany (pictured) lauded the efforts of the various stakeholders in putting in place interventions for the treatment of Fistula saying many women had suffered due to lack of information and treatment.
