Natalie Imbruglia on obstetric fistula, Richard Branson and her experiences in Nigeria and Ethiopia.
How many of you reading this article has heard of the condition obstetric fistula? Not too many, I suspect. Until a couple of years ago, I had never heard of it either. I first heard about it from the Australian singer/songwriter Natalie Imbruglia, who was talking about it on the BBC lunchtime news a while ago as an official spokesperson for the UN-backed Campaign to End Fistula. She first heard of it through Virgin's Richard Branson.
Obstetric fistula is a horrendous condition that affects poor young women in Africa, the Arab world and the Indian subcontinent. It is caused by a hole in the birth canal brought about by prolonged labour without suitable medical intervention, usually a Caesarean operation. Apart from having to cope with the trauma associated with giving birth to a stillborn baby, left untreated, fistula can lead to a woman getting ulcerations, kidney disease and nerve damage in the legs.
Like maternal mortality, fistula is almost entirely preventable. But at least two million women in Africa, Asia and the Arab region are living with the condition, and some 50,000 to 100,000 new cases develop each year. The persistence of fistula is a signal that health systems and indeed policy makers are failing to meet the needs of poorer women in the world. In the main, women with fistula have little say in whom they marry, when they marry and the social pressure to give birth can be intense. Obstetric fistula occurs disproportionately among impoverished girls and women and affects women living far from medical services, who may be undernourished, and who give birth at a very young age and/or have births in quick succession.
The condition is characterised by leaking urine and faeces. The misery is endless; the smell can be overpowering and the cleaning up constant. Husbands leave, family and neighbours ostracise the women, and a life of intense isolation and hardship ensues. Early marriage and poverty cut off many life opportunities for these women, including access to education, meaning that they later have little, if anything, to fall back upon in terms of their own economic independence.
Until recently, the condition was usually out of sight, out of mind to policy makers. However, the official Campaign to End Fistula is in the process of changing that with its emphasis on alleviating poverty and the provision of effective health services, family planning and women's empowerment. I recently spoke with Natalie Imbruglia and asked her about her involvement in the Campaign to End Fistula.
How did you initially hear about fistula and the Campaign to End Fistula?
I was talking to Richard Branson about wanting to get more involved in a charity and he thought I would be drawn to fistula, and he was right. I became an Ambassador for Virgin Unite and they linked me up with UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), the agency leading the Campaign to End Fistula. I was horrified that I had never heard about fistula before, so within weeks I was on a plane to Nigeria and Ethiopia to learn more about it.
What was your particular motivation to get involved with a campaign to eradicate fistula?
This issue struck a chord with me. It was so devastating to me that all these women were suffering from a condition that is preventable and treatable. I just didn't think it should be happening in this day and age. It didn't seem like fistula was being talked about at all and I was alarmed by the lack of attention it was receiving. I felt that these women needed a voice. That's what made me so keen to get involved.
How did your trip to Africa affect you and how did it enhance your understanding of fistula?
My experience in Africa was shocking at first, but the women are so inspiring. In Nigeria I visited various hospitals in Kano and Katsina. I met women who were waiting to have fistula surgery, and women who had already had their surgery. I also went to a village and met a woman who was getting on with life in her community after surgery.
I met a girl who lived with fistula for 16 years. It was just horrible-her baby had died, her husband had left her and she had been ostracised by her community. After she'd been treated, she was just so ecstatic and looking forward to having another baby.
It's amazing to think that for 300 US dollars, a simple surgery can give a woman her life back. These women are so happy that someone is helping them. To see their dignity restored is a wonderful thing.
There are obviously huge social, cultural, economic and health issues at work, but what do you think is the best way forward for eradicating the condition?
The Campaign to End Fistula is working in three main areas: prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Prevention is really the key to ending fistula. One of the main ways we can prevent fistula is by making sure that women have a professionally trained midwife on hand during the delivery who can recognise complications and refer them to a hospital for emergency care if needed.
Education is also important - educating men, the community and spiritual leaders about this problem, and educating women so that they understand the need for appropriate care during pregnancy and childbirth. Through the Campaign, we also focus on treating women who already have fistula, and teach them skills so that when they go back into their community they are economically independent.
For the past few years, I've been trying to raise awareness and funds for the Campaign to End Fistula - it's important that people know what fistula is, and to know that they can help. You can go to www.EndFistula.org to learn more about fistula and how to get involved.
That's where my interview with Natalie Imbruglia ended. Many high profile people like Natalie Imbruglia, in conjunction with The Campaign to End Fistula, are bringing the plight of women affected by the condition to a wide audience. In just a few years, over $20 million has been mobilised by donors to help the campaign. Some cynics may ask what is the point of rich and famous individuals getting involved in certain issues that affect the lives of people with whom they have very little in common. But that would be missing the point entirely. If it were not for Natalie Imbruglia, I would never have heard about fistula. If it were not for Natalie Imbruglia, I would never have written this article that you see here today. Ms Imbruglia says that she did not want to be part of the silence. Neither did I. When you think about it, none of us should be.
Natalie's Interesting Facts
Natalie was chosen as one of People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World, in May 2007.
Natalie made her movie debut in 2003 as an actress in the British comedy, Johnny English. Starring alongside Rowan Atkinson, she played a supporting role as Lorna Campbell.
Since 2004, Natalie has been preparing for the lead role of Elise Silverton in the Australian independent film Elise. The film is based on a Georgia Blain's novel Closed for Winter. Elise is directed by James Bogle. Shooting began in August 2006 in Adelaide, Australia.
Natalie's sister, Laura Imbruglia, is also a recording artist.
In 2002 Natalie signed a six-figure contract with L'oréal after he CD "White Lilies Island. Even to this day she remains as a model for many cosmetic products by L'Oreal, particularly mascaras and skincare products. Her advertisements have appeared frequently in newspapers, magazines and television all over the world, ranging from places like Italy to Malaysia and from The Netherlands to the UK.
Interview kindly supplied by Colin Todhunter.
