On May 23, 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), marked two significant events: the International Day for the Eradication of Obstetric Fistula and ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary.
Obstetric fistula is a severe childbirth injury affecting approximately two million women in low-resource settings worldwide, with an estimated 100,000 new cases annually. This event underscores ECOWAS’s dedication to women’s rights and its ongoing battle against this condition.
The celebration aimed to spotlight progress made through a comprehensive care approach encompassing medical, psychological, and socio-economic aspects. It also sought to engage regional health stakeholders on the importance of addressing fistula and other childbirth-related injuries within the Global Health Agenda.
Since 2010, ECOWAS has been proactive through its Gender Development Centre (EGDC) by launching a large-scale program offering medical and financial support to women and girls suffering from obstetric fistula across its member states.
Prof. Fatou SOW SARR, Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission, emphasized adopting an integrated approach grounded in human rights principles such as responsibility, participation, transparency, empowerment, sustainability, non-discrimination, and international cooperation. She expressed gratitude towards partners like Spanish cooperation for supporting projects that enhance medical staff skills and rehabilitate specialized units in four member states.
Ambassador Fanta Cissé, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, highlighted promising results achieved by EGDC in reducing fistula prevalence from 32% to 29% between 2020 and 2021 in some countries. These advancements are attributed to establishing specialized centers and combating early marriage and female circumcision while strengthening healthcare personnel capacities.
Dr. Istata Mahois from Sierra Leone acknowledged her country’s progress where treatment for complex cases increased significantly since 2010 but stressed that eliminating fistula requires integrated strategies and a supportive legal framework while eradicating discrimination against affected women.
Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana shared their experiences emphasizing sustained access to care beyond isolated campaigns as part of routine efforts encouraged by ECOWAS throughout the sub-region.
As it nears its fiftieth anniversary alongside ECOWAS initiatives like building sanitary towel manufacturing units with WAHO aim at preventing school dropouts among teenage girls while providing solutions for women with obstetric fistulas or urinary retention issues among elderly females.
Spanish Cooperation supports EGDC’s fight against obstetric fistula targeting four Member States—Côte d’Ivoire Guinea-Bissau Liberia Senegal—to ensure sexual reproductive rights maternal health services are accessible throughout West Africa.