By Muhammad Amaan
No fewer than 1600 women with obstetric fistula have undergone surgeries to resolve the conditions under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Fistula-Free Programme (FFP) initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Head of Standards and Quality Assurance Unit of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Saka Agboola, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State on Monday.
Dr Agboola said that the federal government initiative aimed to provide free surgeries, rehabilitation, and health insurance coverage for women with obstetric fistula.
“The government realises that the number of Fistula centres in the country were very few, hence the need to increase it to 18 nationwide.
“With this initiative, over 1600 cases of Fistula has been resolved,” he said.
Agboola said that Nigeria was on a mission to reduce the health status of 400,000 Nigerian women with obstetric fistula in the country by reducing the maternal and neonatal mortality.
Fistula is an abnormal connection or hole between two organs or vessels that should not be connected.
Among such is obstetric fistula, which occurs between the vagina and bladder (vesicovaginal fistula) or rectum (rectovaginal fistula).
This is often experienced when a woman has had prolonged labor without access to proper medical care.
Dr Agboola said that developing countries account for the higher burden of the disease with about 1 million cases.
He added that through the programme, patients are saved from financial and physical pain, with feeding, transportation and stipend covered.
