Fistula is a heartbreaking injury. When I first entered the world of maternal health, learning that countless women live with this condition brought me to tears and lit a fire inside me to push for change. That’s why I’m happy to see this article in the NY Time Science section this morning that sheds some light on the problem. 

“…Sarah Jonas, 18, and Mwanaidi Swalehe, 17, had an inescapable air of sadness. Pregnant at 16, both had given birth in 2007 after labor that lasted for days. Their babies had died, and the prolonged labor had inflicted a dreadful injury on the mothers: an internal wound called a fistula, which left them incontinent and soaked in urine.”

To learn what happens to Sarah and Mwanaidi, read the NY Times article and view their emotional audio-visual slideshow. And then get involved with preventing fistula by visiting the Campaign to End Fistula and downloading Living Testimony,  an advocacy booklet produced by UNFPA and Family Care International that highlights social, cultural, and economic dimensions of obstetric fistula.