Title:
A Simple Operation Can Cure Tragic Condition in
Mothers With Fistula
Description: This is
a VOA Special English Technology Report.
See text below
Text:
A medical aid program in Kenya offers hope to women
and girls suffering from a condition known as
fistula. About two million women and girls worldwide
have the condition. There are about one thousand new
cases of fistula each year in Kenya and as many as
one hundred thousand worldwide. Most cases of
fistula are in Africa and Asia.In July, the African
Medical and Research Foundation held a medical camp
in Kenya to provide free operations to those with
the condition. A fistula is a hole that develops
between two organs. Obstetric fistulas are caused by
obstructed childbirth. When a baby's head is stuck
in the birth canal for an extended period of time,
it cuts off the blood supply to the woman's
surrounding organs. This causes the tissues to die.
The woman is left with a hole between her vagina and
her bladder or rectum. This causes her to
continuously leak urine or feces. It may also
prevent her from having other children, or having
sexual relations. If left untreated, fistula can
cause other health problems. These include skin
infections, kidney disorders and even death. Many
women suffer intense shame and social rejection
because of their condition. Rose Opiyo developed
fistula during childbirth twenty-three years ago.
She said: "I had many problems. I could not go to my
farm, or conduct my business; there was nothing I
could do. When you have this kind of a problem, you
can only take care of your body; there is nothing
else you can do. People hated me." Many fistula
sufferers are rejected and abandoned by their family
and friends. Mrs. Opiyo's husband left her and
married another woman.Mrs. Opiyo was among the women
who visited the free medical camp in Kenya to have
operations to correct their condition. The World
Health Organization says the simple operation can
cure up to ninety percent of fistulas. The
organization also says fistula can largely be
prevented. It advises girls to delay their first
pregnancy until their bodies have fully developed.
This reduces the risk of long and obstructed
childbirth. The organization also calls for an
increase in quality health care and an end to
harmful traditional practices like female genital
cutting. And that's the VOA Special English
Development Report. Transcripts, MP3s and podcasts
of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com.
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Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
