Hamlin Fistula UK

Universally, 5% of all pregnant women have complications in labour. In Europe and the USA, where proper medical facilities are available, these women are usually adequately treated. However, in Ethiopia, and many other parts of the world, these women have a difficult, or perhaps an obstructed labour, maybe for days. This can lead to a stillborn child and a vaginal fistula (a hole) in the bladder, rectum or, in the worst cases, in both, leaving them incontinent. It is a ‘life sentence’. Untreated; the woman becomes an outcast in her society because of her offensive smell.

This is a human problem on a large scale due to two main factors. Firstly there is a lack of medical/antenatal care, trained doctors and appropriate facilities. Secondly, the dramatic terrain in Ethiopia makes communication difficult. It is estimated that 75% of the population lives, on average, two and a half days’ walk from an all-weather road.

In 1959 Dr Reg and Dr Catherine Hamlin, Gynaecologists and Obstetricians from New Zealand and Australia, went to work in Ethiopia. They soon found the distressing state of many women who had complications in childbirth and who were not welcomed in the local hospitals because of the unpleasant nature of their injuries. By 1975, the Hamlins had raised sufficient funds worldwide to build their own dedicated Hospital for these patients. They developed techniques not generally used in Europe and the USA. Dr Reg died in 1993; Dr Catherine remains a world leader in this speciality.

SI Crosby’s recent “small change” collection was dedicated to Hamlin Fistula UK, a charity formed in 1968 solely to support the Hamlins’ work.