NOFIC Medical Director Urges Investment in Women’s Health as World Marks Day to End Obstetric Fistula
By Arit Mbeh
The Medical Director of the newly established National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Professor Ileogben Sunday-Adeoye (MON), has called for greater investment in women’s health, describing it as a fundamental right that deserves the support of families, communities and governments.
Speaking in Benin City to commemorate the 2026 International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, Prof. Sunday-Adeoye said protecting the health of women was essential because of their central role in family and national development.
The global event, observed annually on May 23, has this year’s theme as: “Her Health is a Right: Invest to End Fistula and Childbirth Injuries.”
According to the medical expert, obstetric fistula is a devastating childbirth injury that results in the uncontrollable leakage of urine and faeces through the vagina, often leaving victims with severe physical, emotional and social trauma.
He listed some of the consequences of the condition to include infertility, nerve injuries, kidney and skin diseases, mental health challenges, marital separation, stigmatization, economic dependency and loss of self-esteem.
Prof. Sunday-Adeoye described women as “a priceless jewel in the crown” of the family, stressing that anything that diminishes the dignity and wellbeing of women should concern society as a whole.
He disclosed that Nigeria accounts for about 40 per cent of the global burden of obstetric fistula, with Northern Nigeria recording more cases than the southern part of the country. He added that the United Nations had targeted the year 2030 for the global eradication of obstetric fistula.
The NOFIC chief executive explained that the Federal Government had adopted a two-pronged strategy aimed at preventing new cases while also providing free treatment for existing patients.
As part of the intervention, he said four National Obstetric Fistula Centres had been established across the country, with the Benin centre serving the South-South geopolitical zone and neighbouring states.
He noted that all services offered at the centre are free of charge, including consultation, surgery, physiotherapy, counselling, rehabilitation, feeding, transportation and post-treatment follow-up care.
Prof. Sunday-Adeoye therefore urged residents of Edo State and the wider South-South region to take advantage of the free treatment package provided by the Federal Government.
The professor, who is the immediate past Executive Secretary of the International Society for Obstetric Fistula Surgeons, also condemned the stigmatization and ostracization often faced by fistula patients from families and society.
Meanwhile, as part of activities marking the 2026 International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists, will hold a one-day free medical outreach for journalists on Monday, May 25, 2026, at the NUJ Press Centre in Benin City.
The outreach, scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., will feature blood sugar tests, blood pressure checks, free medical consultations, health talks and awareness sessions on the prevention and management of obstetric fistula.
