The West Africa Fistula Foundation (WAFF) was founded to bring value back to the lives of the women of Sierra Leone by providing them with access to education and resources to help reduce the number of new fistulas and to surgically remedy those that already exist.

Sierra Leone has become the worlds poorest country due to the havoc and devastation caused by over 10 years of civil  war. The lack and inadequacy of their ability to provide obstetric, gynecological care and services have resulted in a extremely high number of  obstetric fistula cases, commonly known and referred to as Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF). This an abnormal connection between the bladder and the vagina caused by obstructed labor during child birth. These women can spend  from 2 to 15 days of labor, as there is not a choice for a Cesarean childbirth in most third world countries. It's estimated that 2 - 3 million women in Africa suffer from (VVF).

The main goal and objective at West Africa Fistula Foundation is to provide not only badly needed medical treatment, but also a working staff built upon from with-in the country itself, to establish proper care and treatment for this terrible condition that these women must endure day in and day out. They are often ostracized by the communities that they live in and their husbands usually abandon them to fend for themselves. Many die in labor there-by creating the worlds highest documented maternal mortality rate among the nations of the world.

With your help and donations we can eliminate this forgotten epidemic:

• by treating the ongoing cases

• pre-operative hostel for waiting patients

• providing educational background  as to the causes and how to prevent fistula.

• post operative treatment up to 14 days (average)

• reintegration back into society by means of vocation school or enterprise training.

We are working towards a free standing VVF Centre in Freetown, Sierra Leone for many reasons. This centre which could be the first and finest of its kind in West Africa will be the West Africa Fistula Centre. This centre will provide highly specialized training for national doctors and nurses, so they too can reduce the number of VVF in this country. Visiting surgeons from all over the world will also be trained; they too may take these skills to help the women in their respective countries. We also are wishing to attract major companies in research and development projects

An interesting footnote is that the first ever reported fistula centre was in the mid 1850's in New York City. By the late 1800's it was shut down because the practice of modern obstetrics and caesarean sections were being made available to the patients. Hopefully this centre will contribute to the epidemic being forgotten.