Astellas backs new women’s health programme in Kenya

The European arm of Japanese pharma giant Astellas is backing a new health programme in Kenya which aims to transform the lives of more than 1,200 women living with obstetric fistula.

Action on Fistula is a three-year initiative led by the charity Fistula Foundation and funded by Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. (APEL).
Funding of €1.5 million will provide support to increase the number of fistula surgeons trained utilising the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Competency Based Training Programme in Kenya by 100% and significantly boost the number of surgeries that take place.

A Fistula Treatment Network across Kenya will also be created and a major outreach programme funded with community workers identifying and encouraging patients to access available treatment.

An obstetric fistula is a hole between the vagina and rectum or bladder that is caused by prolonged obstructed labour when emergency care is unavailable, causing either fecal or urinary incontinence or both conditions. Whilst virtually eradicated in developed countries, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates 3,000 new cases of obstetric fistula occur annually in Kenya, with approximately one to two fistulas for every 1,000 deliveries.

Obstetric fistula sufferers are too often subject to severe social stigma due to odour which is constant and humiliating, often driving the patients' family, friends and neighbours away. Stigmatised, these women are also often denied access to education and employment and left to live lives of isolation and poverty. Untreated, fistula can lead to chronic medical problems including ulcerations, kidney disease and nerve damage in the legs.

Ken Jones, president & ceo of APEL, commented: “Action on Fistula tackles a significant unmet need for treatment in urology, where we have a strong heritage.  Critically, the programme will build capacity through surgical training so that even more women can be treated in the future.”