Obstetric fistula happens most frequently in rural areas, where emergency medical care is not easily accessible. A woman’s risk of developing fistula is also exacerbated by cultural misunderstanding about doctors and surgery. Madagascar faces both of these challenges: its infrastructure is poor, which can make travel to the hospital complicated and dangerous. Also, there is…

Meet Kemzo
Kemzo endured two to three days of excruciating labor before being taken to get a C-section at a public hospital in Vangaindrano. The prolonged obstructed labor had resulted in obstetric fistula.
Kemzo's Story
When the time came for Kemzo to deliver, at the age of 25, she expected things to go differently. She endured two or three days of excruciating labor before being taken to get a C-section at a public hospital in Vangaindrano. The prolonged obstructed labor had resulted in obstetric fistula. She began to leak urine uncontrollably.
Her life changed, and her husband abandoned her.
For years, she suffered with this injury. Until one day a friend, Blandine – who had also developed obstetric fistula – told her about free surgery available through Fistula Foundation partner, SALFA, at their private hospital in Vangaindrano.
Accompanied by her sister-in-law, Kemzo traveled to Vangaindrano for treatment. When our team met her, she was nervous but eager to receive the free surgery that could change her life forever.
About Madagascar
- Population: 24,430,325
- Average Births per Woman: 4.12
- Female Literacy: 62.6%
- Population Living in Poverty: 75.3% (less than $1.25/day)