Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund is an Australian non-profit charity. They work closely with the Hamlin Fistula® Welfare and Research Trust in Ethiopia which oversees the running of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital.

The entrance to the Fistula Hospital

About Fistula

One in twenty pregnant women experience difficulty during childbirth. In western countries medical advances means that many problems can be overcome.

However, in developing countries such as Ethiopia, medical help is difficult to administer due to the fact that the women live in remote and inaccessible areas. This sometimes means that women can be in labour for five or more days.

This prolonged and obstructed labour often results in a woman's insides being torn so that a hole, called a fistula, is caused in the bladder and sometimes the rectum. When this occurs the woman is unable to control the flow of urine or excreta. Usually the child is stillborn. Her husband, family and community may shun her, leaving her with a deep sense of rejection and shame.

It is estimated that up to 3 million women suffer from this problem in developing countries.

About the Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund

Dr Catherine Hamlin

The Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund supports the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. The hospital was opened in 1975 by Dr. Catherine Hamlin AC and her late husband, Dr Reg Hamlin, following their arrival in Ethiopia in 1949. The Hamlins perfected a surgical procedure which is performed at the hospital and has a 92% successful cure rate.

The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital has given many women a sanctuary where they can feel accepted and restored. Most of the women treated at the hospital return to a normal and dignified lifestyle. Some are able to go on and have more children and lead full lives as a parent.

The Fund also supports a number of strategically located Hamlin Fistula Outreach Centres, making treatment more accessible for the estimated 8,000 women in Ethiopia who are suffering from Fistula. The hospital provides the young mothers with literacy and safe motherhood education.

In December 2007 the hospital opened a college to train young Ethiopian midwives. Once qualified, the midwives work at the Hamlin Fistula Outreach Centres and visit villages to educate the women on safe birthing practices. They also arrange for women who are at risk of experiencing a difficult labour to receive proper care and a safe birth.

The hospital treats approximately 2,000 women per year, with all patients being treated free of charge. The Fund is financed by interest on investments alone, meaning that 100% of donations are received by the hospital.

Dr Hamlin's work has cured over 30,000 fistula patients to date.

Surgery at the hospital

Young, happy, cured patients

How you can help - Click here to make a donation.