At Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, our mission has always been to find every woman suffering from obstetric fistula and restore her dignity, health, and hope. To mark the global commemoration of the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula (IDEOF), our team on the ground celebrated a historic milestone: the official inauguration of a dedicated fistula treatment center at Karamara General Hospital in Jijiga.
This new center represents a massive leap forward, bringing specialized, culturally respectful, and life-changing maternal healthcare directly to underserved women in Eastern Ethiopia and neighboring Somaliland.
Building Local Expertise: The Heart of the Strategy
To make sure this center operates at the highest medical and ethical standards, we didn’t rely on temporary, fly-in medical teams. Instead, we focused on building sustainable local capacity. Before the launch, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia hosted local healthcare professionals at our world-renowned Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital for intensive, hands-on clinical training. These professionals can now provide world-class care in the local language and with a deep understanding of the regional culture.
The Trained Local Team Includes:
* 3 Specialist Doctors: Gynecologists and obstetricians trained in complex fistula repair surgery.
* 5 Specialized Nurses: Operating Room (OR) and ward nurses trained in delicate pre- and post-operative care.
By empowering local clinicians who share the language, values, and community norms of their patients, we are breaking down massive barriers of stigma and communication.
Stronger Together: Partnering with UNFPA
This milestone was made possible through close collaboration and partnership with UNFPA Ethiopia. While working together on strategic goals, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia served as the lead technical and clinical execution partner—translating global health objectives into immediate, life-saving capacity on the ground.
What’s Next? Our Sustainability Roadmap
The launch of the center is just the beginning. Our long-term plan ensures continuous support and holistic healing for patients in the region:
- 1. Launching Our First Surgical Camp
Our clinical teams are preparing to kick off the very first Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia Surgical Camp at the Karamara center. This campaign will target obstetric fistula, complex perineal tears, and other debilitating childbirth injuries, offering free surgeries to vulnerable women from the Somali region, surrounding refugee camps, and Somaliland.
2. Continuous Mentorship and Standards of Care
Our involvement does not end with the inauguration ribbon-cutting. Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia will provide ongoing technical supervision, quality assurance, and mentoring to the local Karamara team to ensure our strict Hamlin standard of care is maintained for every single patient.
3. Holistic Rehabilitation at Desta Mender
True healing goes beyond surgery. We will selectively enroll patients from this region into vocational training and rehabilitation programs at Desta Mender, our joy-filled training village. This ensures survivors return home not just physically cured, but equipped with economic independence and restored confidence.
By taking the lead on clinical training and preparing immediate surgical campaigns, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia is successfully decentralizing top-tier maternal healthcare—ensuring that no woman in the eastern reaches of our country has to suffer in silence.
Want to help us reach more women? Learn how you can support our surgical campaigns and rehabilitation programs.
