Celebrity Gathering Spotlights 'End Fistula' Campaign

BRUSSELS, Belgium—Singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia, television personality Goedele Liekens, high-level politicians and individuals from the Belgian fashion and media scene gathered this evening to rally support for the Campaign to End Fistula, a global effort to address a devastating injury of childbearing that affects more than 2 million women and girls.

“Obstetric fistula was eliminated here in Belgium more than 100 years ago,” said Ms. Imbruglia, Spokesperson for the Campaign to End Fistula. “It’s unacceptable that women and girls in Africa and Asia are still suffering from this entirely preventable and treatable condition.”

Obstetric fistula is a hole in the birth canal typically caused by prolonged labour without prompt emergency care—usually a Caesarean section. The woman is left with chronic incontinence and, in most cases, her baby is stillborn. Unable to control her flow of urine or faeces, she is often abandoned by her husband and shunned by her community.

"You don’t die from fistula, but your dignity dies slowly,” said Ms. Liekens, a Goodwill Ambassador for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. “The story of fistula survivors is horrible, but it doesn’t need to end horribly. I am encouraged by the work of UNFPA to give women back their dignity. We are on the right track, but a lot remains to be done, and we can't solve this all by ourselves."

The global Campaign to End Fistula, led by UNFPA, is now helping women in more than 40 countries worldwide. It focuses on three key areas of intervention: preventing fistula, treating affected women, and supporting women after surgery. Since 2003, the Campaign has grown to include a wide range of non-governmental partners and foundations. Private sector partners include ELLE Belgium, the London-based advertising agency RKCR/Y&R and Virgin Unite, the charitable arm of the Virgin Group.

Tonight’s event marked the launch of a public awareness initiative to raise visibility of obstetric fistula and the global Campaign among the Belgian public and European policymakers. An advertisement campaign—developed pro bono for UNFPA by RCKR/Y&R—will be seen across Brussels throughout May.

Recent events at the Belgian Senate and European Parliament have put obstetric fistula on the political agenda, resulting in a draft Senate resolution and draft European Parliament written declaration urging the Commission and Council to support the UNFPA-led global Campaign. The declaration is open for signature by Members of European Parliament until 14 May 2007.

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

For more on the global Campaign to End Fistula, visit www.EndFistula.org

Contact Information:

Julie Weber
Telephone: (+1) 212-297-5056
Email: weber@unfpa.org