Throughout Africa, millions of women do not have access to proper medical care during their pregnancy, due unfortunately, to lack of medical facilities, shortage of doctors and nurses; lack of medications; or the inability to get to a clinic in time to be helped.

A horrendous condition, vesico vaginal fistula, is found in young women who have experienced a prolonged obstructed labor without any medical assistance. Simplistically put - the wall between the bladder and vagina is damaged by the prolonged pressure of the baby's head and a fistula or hole develops. Consequently, the woman is constantly leaking urine.

In some cases, the rectal wall is also affected and there is no control of feces either. The woman is often ostracized by her husband, her family, and her village. She is now an outcast in society.

In the West African country of Niger, there are countless young women with this problem. According to United Nations statistics, there are approximately 14 million people in Niger, with 485 doctors and only 6 doctors who are trained to repair fistula patients. For the women affected by fistula, this is a desperate situation with little hope to be able to be restored to a normal life.

It is estimated that for some 200,000 women in Niger, life is filled with humiliation, horrible discomfort and shame of their inability to control their urine and feces. Most of these young women spend their lives isolated, in extreme poverty and ostracized by society.

As of January 2009, IOWD surgeons and Dr. Abdoulaye Idrissa will have performed 1,000 surgeries. With the assistance of dedicated IOWD and Nigerien nurses, Operating Room technicians, superb Nigerien Anesthesiologists and Anesthetists, fistula patients have had their health and their dignity restored!

Given the continued support of the Government of Niger, Dr. Ibrahim Sabou, Director of the National Hospital and the entire staff of the National Hospital, IOWD is pledged to return to Niger 3 times per year until more Nigerien surgeons are able to perform fistula surgery. With Dr. Abdoulaye Idrissa at the "helm" of this program in Niamey, we are confident that we will achieve this goal. Together, we are making a difference...