Fewer than one in three women suffering from obstetric fistula in Ghana over the past decade have received reparative surgery, according to new health data highlighting persistent gaps in maternal healthcare.

Health facilities across the country recorded 3,688 cases of obstetric fistula between 2016 and 2025, yet only 1,096 women underwent surgical repair, leaving a significant proportion without access to treatment.

Obstetric fistula is a childbirth-related injury that causes continuous leakage of urine or stool, often resulting in severe stigma, social isolation, and long-term physical and psychological distress for affected women.

The worrying treatment gap has prompted renewed collaboration between the Ministry of Health, Parliament, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), all of which have described the condition as a preventable tragedy linked to inadequate access to emergency obstetric care.

UNFPA Country Representative for Ghana, Dr Wilfred Ochan, said recent estimates suggest that obstetric fistula remains a significant public health challenge despite ongoing interventions.

He explained that a study conducted between January and February 2025 shows that between 700 and 1,300 women develop the condition annually, with an average of about 845 cases each year.

While acknowledging progress in treatment capacity, Dr Ochan said a substantial backlog of untreated cases continues to strain the health system, stressing the need for sustained intervention.

He also emphasised that UNFPA’s work goes beyond treatment, focusing on strengthening care systems and supporting health workers who provide rehabilitation services.

“For UNFPA, we came for two reasons: to empathise with the survivors and to encourage the caregivers for the important role they play in restoring dignity, giving hope, and opening new opportunities for these women who have been neglected,” he said.

To address the challenge, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, announced plans to establish dedicated, standalone obstetric fistula treatment centres across the country to provide comprehensive care under one roof. She explained that the current fragmented system makes access to treatment difficult, particularly for vulnerable patients.

“So I realised that the walkthrough is not very smooth. So imagine us, who are healthy, walking through all these spaces to get a specific kind of treatment, and now transpose that to somebody who's not healthy. It's going to be very difficult,” she said.

Dr Ayensu-Danquah added that discussions are ongoing with UNFPA to replicate the Yendi model, where a standalone centre has already been established with dedicated pre-operative, post-operative, and accommodation facilities for patients. She said the Ministry of Health intends to propose similar centres nationwide to strengthen specialised care delivery.

She further indicated that efforts are underway to train more healthcare workers, upgrade equipment, and expand specialist capacity, with the aim of improving fistula repair services across the country. She expressed optimism that, in collaboration with UNFPA and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana could establish a centre of excellence for fistula treatment in the near future.

Adding a legislative dimension to the response, the Parliamentary Caucus on Population and Development, led by Patricia Appiagyei, and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, chaired by Dr Mark Kurt Nawaane, pledged strong parliamentary support for intensified action against the condition.

Patricia Appiagyei stressed the urgency of meeting the 2030 elimination target, noting that timelines were tight and required accelerated policy action. “The dates are very short. We are talking about 2030. I believe with some acceleration in the policies or interventions that we will churn out there will help,” she said.

Lawmakers also called for the establishment of a dedicated national unit to coordinate efforts on obstetric fistula, arguing that a more centralised approach would improve efficiency and help accelerate progress towards elimination.