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Predictors Of Time To Obstetric Fistula Repair; A Case Study Of Fistula Survivors In Kitovu Mission Hospital (Masaka), Uganda


 Background: Obstetrical fistula (OF) is a public health challenge that is among the previously neglected components of maternal health in the developing world. The condition, which in the recent past has increasingly drawn more attention from the public, has a devastating impact on the health and wellbeing of both women and girls worldwide. The most common cause of obstetric fistula in developing countries is prolonged obstructed labor affecting approximately 2 million women and girls across Africa and Asia.
The objective of this study was to examine the predictors of time to obstetric fistula repair among women who successfully received fistula treatment in Kitovu Mission Hospital.
Methods: Hospital records of 149 obstetric fistula survivors from Kitovu Mission Hospital which is located in Masaka district were analysed.
Results: Out of 149 participants, 68(45.6%) women were aged 18-24 years and only 28(18.8%) had attained education beyond primary school level. About 72(48.3%) of the survivors received fistula treatment within the first three years of its occurrence. There was a significant relationship among married women (RR = 0.28, p = 0.044), women below 18 years of age (RR = 0.16, p = 0.038), and primiparous mothers (RR = 13.58, p = 0.013) observed at a time to surgery of above 7 years relative to a time to surgery of less than 4 years.
Conclusion: In addition to advocacy for a national or community-based health insurance schemes to reduce of the cost for health care, there is need to incorporate campaigns against GBV and increase community sensitization on the importance of ANC among other public health issues on top of fistula.