The United Nations Population Fund in Afghanistan (UNFPA) has said that Afghanistan is the fifth country with the highest cases of obstetric fistula in the world.
UNFPA posted on X Saturday (May 23) on the occasion of the “International Day to End Obstetric Fistula,” stating that around 15,000 girls and women in Afghanistan are suffering from this childbirth-related injury.
According to agency, the prevention and treatment of obstetric fistula require access to healthcare services, safe surgery, and essential supplies.
Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious childbirth injuries. It occurs when a hole develops between the birth canal and the bladder, causing them to become connected.
May 23 was designated in 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, with the aim of preventing and treating the condition, raising awareness about it, and ending the social isolation of affected women and girls.
