Update from Ethiopia

Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia medical professionals are our heroes.

As the COVID-19 pandemic makes everything more challenging, the team at Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia continues to focus on eradicating obstetric fistula and ensuring progress continues despite the obstacles.

Ethiopia has so far avoided the worst of COVID-19 pandemic. However, like the rest of the world, transport barriers and movement restrictions are impeding access to essential maternal health care services, especially in remote, rural areas.

Our incredible Hamlin medical professionals are working hard to minimise COVID-19 interruptions for Ethiopian women in need of maternity services.

Hamlin midwives continue to deliver antenatal, delivery and postnatal care services at the 80 Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics. We are all determined that in communities where there is a Hamlin Midwife that we will not see a spike in obstetric fistula cases or maternal death due to lack of skilled medical care.

At the same time, Hamlin Midwives and Hamlin’s outreach officers are supporting the Ethiopian Government’s initiative for community health workers to raise awareness about how to prevent COVID-19 infection. Our midwives are particularly well placed to support this as they speak different regional languages, and the trust the Hamlin team has built up over the years is helping them engage with their communities.

Whilst patient flow at some of our regional hospitals is lower than usual due to movement restrictions, all six Hamlin hospitals continue to provide fistula surgery and caesarean sections and where possible the medical team is intensifying efforts to deliver fistula surgery, treatment and follow up services.

Patient Identification in remote rural areas of Ethiopia remains our long-term priority for the future until every last women suffering a fistula injury is found.

We’re all determined that the progress and hard earned gains that Hamlin has made over the last 60 years will not be reversed because of COVID-19.

Thank you for your support during these extraordinary times.