ECOWAS, Nigeria collaborate on obstetric fistula treatment

President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, recently met with Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, to discuss the treatment and rehabilitation of women suffering from obstetric fistula in Nigeria.

The meeting at the Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja focused on strategies to effectively use ECOWAS funds for fistula treatment. Kennedy-Ohanenye expressed concern that a significant portion of the funds has been allocated to training doctors, sensitisation programmes, and workshops rather than directly to patient care.

To address this, the Ministry of Women Affairs is collaborating with the Ministry of Health to prioritise the treatment and rehabilitation of fistula patients.

The Ministry of Health will oversee doctors’ training, while most donor funds will be used for patient treatment.
Touray welcomed this new approach, emphasising the Commission’s desire for collaboration with member states to prioritise patient care.