Over the past fourteen days, I have seen over twenty women that share the same problem – vesico-vaginal fistulas (VVF). Each woman not only shares the same medical diagnosis, corrected by an operative procedure, but also the challenges of exclusion and abandonment by families and communities.
When I last traveled to Angola from January to March 2009, the number of VVF cases was particularly astounding. Women of all ages and social classes traveled from across Angola to receive operative treatment for their urinary problems.
The issue was one that I was aware of and had learned about a great deal. However, I never thought of sharing the story of a VVF patient. This time around, while I am back in Lubango, Angola for two months, I have decided to share this story. I have been back for less than two weeks and I have already seen pre-operative consultations, VVF operations, post-operative check-ups and recovery patients. This is a story that needs to be told.
Over the next two weeks, I plan to share this story in a four-part interview series. The first part of this series about vesico-vaginal fistulas will be an interview with Dr. Stephen Foster, a medical doctor and surgeon based in Lubango, Angola to introduce the issue, the extent of its spread across Angola and its impact on lives. The second and third parts of this series will explore the lives of women affected by VVFs and discuss personal issues and societal challenges faced. The final part of this series will take a look at the work of two volunteer workers – a primary school teacher and a labour and delivery nurse and their tireless efforts to help these VVF women integrate back into society.
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