** Tshikapa: a crucial campaign to compensate for gyneco-obstetrics fistulas **
On May 14, 2025, the Tshikapa General Reference Hospital, located in the Kasai province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), will host a free repair campaign for gyneco-obstetrics fistulas. This initiative, praised by many players in health and civil society, highlights a serious and too often neglected problem which affects many women in the country and beyond.
### Understanding gynecologist fistula
Obstetric fistula is a painful lesion which generally results from difficult deliveries, occurring in the absence of appropriate obstetric care. It manifests itself by a perforation between the vagina and the bladder or the rectum, leading to an involuntary leak of urine or faeces. Not only does this condition have severe physical consequences, but it also leads to devastating psychological effects, such as depression and social isolation, as well as exacerbation of poverty in affected women.
According to data, half a million women and girls live with this lesion in sub-Saharan Africa, a phenomenon often aggravated by complex social and economic factors, as well as by underwater and unequal health systems.
### Tshikapa campaign: expected relief
Dr. Léon Manyama Maroko, interim director of HGR Tshikapa, stressed the importance of this campaign, which provides not only for medical and surgical care, but also the management of patients. This demonstrates a commitment to improving the health conditions of women in the region. It should be noted that the screening and recording of patients started at HGR make it possible to effectively prepare this operation.
However, this campaign is not without challenges. The financial and human resources necessary for its realization are often limited, especially in a context where the health establishments of the DRC suffer from a lack of means. In addition, for this campaign to be truly effective, it should be accompanied by awareness -raising work with communities on the causes of obstetric fistulas and the means of preventing them.
### A call to awareness
The social isolation of women with fistulas is a major issue that calls for awareness strategies. The received ideas on the consequences of this condition, often linked to stigma, must be disputed. Awareness campaigns can not only help change mentalities, but also encourage women to seek fast and appropriate medical care.
### Change wind?
This initiative is part of a broader framework of the reproductive health of women in the DRC. While the fight against obstetric fistulas is a public health priority, it is crucial to agree that, to obtain sustainable results, it is also necessary to take into account the problems of training of health professionals, access to quality obstetric care and improvement of health infrastructure.
Consider a collaborative approach involving governments, NGOs, and communities can contribute to a real transformation of women’s health conditions. In addition, international awareness could also help mobilize more resources to support similar initiatives in other regions of the country, and beyond.
### Conclusion: a better future for women
The campaign for the repair of fistulas gynecologist-obstetricals in Tshikapa represents a significant step towards improving the health of women in this region. It embodies an increasing awareness of the individual and collective needs of women in the face of critical health challenges. This historical moment could thus prove to be a catalyst to approach this problem in a more global and lasting way.
It is imperative that we continue to light up and accompany these women who suffer in silence. The future of the health of many women in the DRC will depend on the actions undertaken today and our ability to listen to and meet their needs. Ultimately, the resolution of women’s health problems should not remain an isolated history, but become an integral part of national and international dialogues on human rights, health and well-being.