The ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) in collaboration with Gwarinpa General Hospital, Life Camp in Abuja has launched the first-ever Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF) Centre worth N51.5 million in the FCT.
The VVF is an abnormal opening between the bladder and the female private part that results in continuous and unremitting urinary incontinence and infections.
The Country Director of AAN, Mr Andrew Mamedu, at the launch said one of the reasons for the project was to come to the aid of the patients who develop VVF in Abuja and have to travel far and wide for treatment elsewhere, despite their large numbers.
He noted that the statistics surrounding VVF in Nigeria showed an estimated two million women living with unrepaired VVF, and between 50,000 new cases emerging annually, leaving only 3,000 of whom are fortunate to be attended to each year.
- HYPPADEC inaugurates N420m flood control project in Kogi
- Influx of refugees: C/River communities seek border patrol teams
He said Nigeria, ranking third globally in child marriage rates, bears witness to consequences including disrupted education, increased vulnerability to violence, and missed opportunities for personal fulfilment.
He said, “The inauguration of the 20-bed wards at Gwarinpa Medical Centre signifies not only the completion of a construction project but a tangible commitment to breaking the cycle of early marriage and VVF in the FCT.”