Recorded on 17 July 2025 for ICMDA Webinars.
Dr Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Dr Beatrice Ambauen-Berger
Though many doctors in the West may have never treated female genital fistula, there are still an estimated 0.5 million women worldwide suffering from this preventable and treatable disease, mostly in African and Asian countries.
Sufferers are living with full incontinence of urine or stool and are often treated as outcasts. Where access to medical care has improved, the numbers of obstetric fistula have decreased, but sadly there is a concerning increase of fistula caused by low quality pelvic surgeries.
This webinar gives an overview of the causes and challenges of female genital fistula today, with focus on the example of Bangladesh.
Dr. Bea is a Swiss Obstetrician and Gynaecologist working at LAMB hospital in rural Bangladesh since 2010. Besides practising and training local doctors in Obstetrics and Gynaecology she lead and expanded the LAMB fistula project including performing and training nationals in fistula surgeries, consultancy for community projects, local and national advocacy work as well as fistula related research. She is a member of ISOFS (International Society of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons) since 2012 and has been a member of the ISFOS Executive Committee from 2022-24.To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/