Prevalence of obstetric fistula in Malawi.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of obstetric fistula in Malawi and explore the potential risk factors for developing the condition.

METHODS

A community survey was conducted in 9 districts in Malawi, recruiting 3282 women aged at least 12 years using the sibling based method to identify cases of obstetric fistula. Hospital records from 9 district hospitals involved in the community survey and all hospitals offering fistula repair services in Malawi were reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 1107 women with obstetric fistula were identified: 575 from the community survey and 532 from hospital records. Median age was 29 years (range, 12-89 years). The prevalence of obstetric fistula was 1.6 per 1000 women. Women endured the condition for a median duration of 3 years. Comparison of women with and without obstetric fistula revealed significant differences in age (P=0.02), occupation (P<0.01), and tribal origin (P=0.02), but no differences in education level (P=0.73) or religion (P=0.08).

CONCLUSION

Obstetric fistula remains a major problem in Malawi. Increased awareness of the condition, improvement of maternal care services, and an increase in skilled personnel to perform fistula repair are needed to reduce the burden of this condition.