Health experts are warning that thousands of Ghanaian women are being left to suffer in silence from obstetric fistula due to inadequate funding, limited surgical capacity and weak national commitment to tackling the preventable childbirth injury.
As Ghana marks the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, specialists are calling for urgent government investment to confront what they describe as a hidden public health and human rights crisis affecting vulnerable women across the country.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, more than 12,000 women in Ghana are currently living with unrepaired fistula, while an estimated 1,300 new cases emerge every year.
Despite the growing numbers, only between 100 and 200 women receive surgical repairs annually due to limited resources and a shortage of specialists.
Gabriel Yao-Kumah Ganyaglo, a Urogynaecologist and Co-Chair of the National Obstetric Fistula Taskforce, said Ghana must move beyond rhetoric and commit real financial resources to ending the condition.
“It is time for the country to walk the talk and take the bull by the horn,” he stated, stressing that Ghana needs dedicated funding rather than symbolic policy promises.
Dr Ganyaglo warned that obstetric fistula continues to destroy lives, leaving many women battling incontinence, social rejection, stigma and economic hardship after prolonged obstructed labour without timely medical intervention.
He disclosed that Ghana currently has only 12 active fistula surgeons nationwide, a situation he described as grossly inadequate considering the scale of the problem.
According to him, it costs about $1,200 to identify, transport, treat and reintegrate a single fistula patient into society, making stronger investment critical if more women are to access care.
The specialist also called for a national campaign to tackle the stigma surrounding fistula, arguing that many victims are abandoned, isolated and deprived of livelihoods because of misconceptions surrounding the condition.
He urged religious leaders, traditional authorities and communities to join the fight against discrimination and support affected women.
The commemoration, led by the Ghana Health Service, the Ministry of Health and the National Obstetric Fistula Taskforce with support from UNFPA, is being observed under the theme: “Her Health is a Right: Invest to End Fistula and Childbirth Injuries.”
Health officials say the condition remains closely linked to poor access to maternal healthcare, especially in rural communities where many women still deliver at home without skilled medical support.
Deputy Director of Family Health at the Ghana Health Service, Chris Opoku Fofie, revealed that about 13 per cent of births in Ghana still occur at home, increasing the risk of childbirth complications and preventable injuries.
Stakeholders are now demanding stronger political will, expanded surgical training and sustained funding to eliminate obstetric fistula and restore dignity to thousands of affected Ghanaian women.
