Hope in Murang’a as Over 400 Women Receive Free Fistula Services

More than 400 women and girls have benefited from free fistula surgery, screening, counselling, and physiotherapy at Murang’a County Referral Hospital from Aprill 11-17, 2026.

The initiative aimed to strengthen maternal healthcare while restoring dignity to women living with obstetric fistula.

The week-long medical camp mobilized 449 women and girls. Medical teams screened patients, offered counselling, and performed corrective surgeries on severe cases. In addition, others received physiotherapy and follow-up care to support recovery and reintegration.

Health experts say a shortage of trained fistula surgeons continues to slow progress in treating the condition. They also point to delays in emergency obstetric care and complications during childbirth as major challenges.

As a result, an estimated 120,000 women across the country still live with untreated obstetric fistula.

Long-Term Suffering and Stigma Deepen Impact

Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) nurse and trainer Christine Muthengi said some patients have lived with the condition for decades. She noted cases dating back to 1991, where many women experienced abandonment and isolation.

“Obstetric fistula is a devastating childbirth injury that causes chronic incontinence, deep physical trauma and social isolation, from constant leakage to resultant foul smell, Women and girls are forced into hiding for years, to save them from shame,” Muthengi said.

She added that stigma prevents many women from seeking treatment. In many cases, patients hide their condition and avoid hospitals due to fear and shame.

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Barriers Persist Despite Strong Maternal Health Indicators

Murang’a County continues to record strong maternal health outcomes. For instance, skilled birth attendance stands at 96 percent, while teenage pregnancy rates remain low at 7 percent.

However, challenges persist. Poverty, early and unintended pregnancies, misdiagnosis, and delays in accessing emergency care still increase the risk of fistula.

Partners Support Large-Scale Treatment Campaign

The fistula camp brought together the M-Pesa Foundation, the Ministry of Health, and the Murang’a County Government. Clinical partners such as Amref Health Africa and the Flying Doctors Society of Africa also supported the exercise.

The program ended after a week of intensive outreach, treatment, and recovery support for affected women.

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Foundation Commits Funding to Expand Treatment

The M-Pesa Foundation invested KES 8.1 million in the initiative. This forms part of a wider KES 213 million commitment that has supported more than 1,500 women in high-burden counties.

“No woman should have to suffer in silence. Fistula surgery may seem like a simple procedure, but the transformation it brings to a woman’s dignity, health and future is profound,” said M-Pesa Foundation trustee Patricia Ithau.

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Christine Muthengi, a Vesicovaginal Fistula Nurse and Trainer, attends to a patient during a free fistula camp at Murang’a County Referral Hospital from April 11–17, 2026, where over 400 women received surgery, screening, and counselling to restore dignity and improve maternal health. PHOTO/ FILE.