The annual incidence of obstetric fistula’s in sub-Saharan Africa is 123.9 per 100,000 deliveries (95%CI: 0-18).Surgery to repair Obstetric Fistula is difficult and requires extensive training. Often, even in the best hands, the surgery is unsuccessful due to the extensive tissue damage. The Global Fistula Map (globalfistulamap.org) shows the highest concentration of fistula to occur in most Sub-Saharan African countries, India and Pakistan and their neighbours.

Lack of access to safe Cesarean Section is one the most important factors in the development of a fistula , therefore ideally fistula should be prevented by improving maternity services in the countries where they are the most prevalent. This is obviously dependent on enormous amounts of funding and political input. In the interim, the surgical approach to fistula requires refinement. By simplifying the surgery and improving outcomes many more women would have access to treatment.

The efforts of current fistula programs is to improve access to prevention strategies and to improve surgical intervention. There has been little attention given to technology that could solve these problems. It would also place a more simple solution in more surgeons hands. Therefore our obstetric fistula technology program will focus on different areas in the prevention and treatment of obstetric fistula. Our program aims at emerging a prevention program that suits current societal, political and health care circumstances. A step-by-step approach for development of technological interventions that tackle current barriers in adequately curing women during and after labour. Also, an implementation framework will be realised taking into account local requirements.