Dear Friend:
This is the first issue of the Fistula Care newsletter! If you have not already subscribed, then this is a courtesy copy and you need to subscribe by clicking here in order to receive future quarterly newsletters.
We appreciate your interest in Fistula Care and hope that you enjoy reading about our recent project activities.
The Fistula Care Team
New on the WebsiteFistula Care Launches Search Feature for Its Virtual Resource Center
Fistula Care has created an online resource center that houses journal articles, papers, fact sheets, and other materials on a range of topics related to fistula. You can browse and search a bibliography of more than 500 fistula references by author, title, topic area, or geography. Visitors can see citations and abstracts, while project partners can access resources in their entirety.
Fistula Care Website Available in French
Parts of the Fistula Care web site are now available in French. When visiting our web site, simply click on “En Français” in the top, right corner to see the content in French.
Stories from the Field
Several new stories from the field have been added to the website, including three videos that tell the stories of Tihun, Yeserash, and Abebu — three young women from Ethiopia who have survived obstetric fistula. These videos are excerpts from the film "Bringing Back Dignity," produced under the ACQUIRE Project funded by USAID. Stories about Fausta and Doreen, fistula survivors from Uganda, and a profile of fistula champion Dr. Steven Arrowsmith have also been added.
Country Program Updates
Fistula Care Begins Support to Kanombe Hospital in Rwanda
A third facility in Rwanda now provides fistula repair surgery. Kanombe Hospital is a military hospital near the capital, Kigali. Kanombe cares for women experiencing obstetric emergencies, and through Fistula Care support it now will set aside one day each week to provide fistula repairs in a newly renovated operating theater. Read more.
New Publications and Resources"Learn From My Story" Facilitator's Guide
Ugandan fistula survivors shared their stories in the series “Learn From My Story,” available on YouTube and on the Fistula Care web site. Fistula Care has produced a guide (PDF, 2.8MB) that will help facilitators to lead conversations about the stories—with community leaders, health care providers, and women suffering from fistula. The guide includes discussion questions and key messages for each story.
Technical Brief on Ethiopian Pre-Repair Centers Now Available
Fistula Care has published the first in a series of technical briefs that will describe the project’s programming models and successful practices. “Fistula Pre-Repair Center Model in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia” (PDF, 467KB) summarizes the pre-repair center model that has been developed and managed by Fistula Care partner IntraHealth International. We invite your feedback and ideas in response to the brief.
Meetings and EventsFamily Planning Integration Meeting
Fistula Care cohosted an important meeting in collaboration with the Rwandan Ministry of Health and the Rwanda Medical Association. Held December 7-8, 2009, in Kigali, the Family Planning Integration Meeting focused on preventing fistula by integrating family planning with fistula care and other maternal health services. Read more.
Workshop on Medical Monitoring for Fistula Care Staff
“Strengthening the Quality of Fistula Prevention and Repair Services: Institutionalizing Medical Monitoring” was a five-day workshop held February 1-5, 2010, in Kampala. Twenty-eight EngenderHealth staff and Fistula Care partners from seven countries came together to share experiences and lessons learned about improving the quality of fistula services through medical monitoring. Read more.
Fistula Care in the NewsFistula Care activities have been featured in several leading news publications this quarter. Links to these stories are now available in the “In the News” section of our web site.
International Women's DayPlease join Fistula Care in celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future on March 8, International Women's Day!
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