Transforming the Lives of Women in Ethiopia
Dr Catherine Hamlin’s vision was to eradicate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia forever, so that every woman can be free from these atrocious internal injuries.
Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia provides world-class obstetric fistula treatment to restore the health and dignity of women who have survived this horrendous, preventable childbirth injury.
The Hamlin Model of Care
The Hamlin Model of Care is the world’s leading approach to treating obstetric fistula — and one of the reasons Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia is uniquely placed to end this devastating childbirth injury in Ethiopia.
Developed by Australian gynaecologist and obstetrician, Dr Catherine Hamlin more than 67 years ago, the model recognises that obstetric fistula causes more than physical harm. Many women also carry the grief of losing a child and the trauma of isolation, stigma and shame.
Today, this whole-person approach remains at the heart of Hamlin’s work. It combines specialist surgery with compassionate care that supports physical, psychological and emotional healing. Widely replicated around the world, it continues to set the standard for fistula treatment and recovery.
What makes up the Hamlin Model of Care?
Patient Identification
Many women living with fistula in Ethiopia don’t know help is available. Hamlin’s ambitious Patient Identification Outreach Programme is focused on finding these women through media campaigns and going door-to-door, educating the community and linking them to life-changing treatment at one of six Hamlin fistula hospitals.
Comfort Package
A woman’s healing starts as soon as she arrives at a Hamlin hospital. She receives a Comfort Package which includes a colourful hand-knitted blanket, symbolising her life being woven back together, a nightgown and slippers to wear during her stay and soap to keep herself clean. On the day she leaves, she is presented with a new dress to celebrate her return home.
Fistula Repair Surgery
A single, two-hour operation can often repair an obstetric fistula injury and change a woman’s life. But many women who have suffered for years require more complex surgery and rehabilitation due to complications like scar tissue, long-term infection and renal damage. The Hamlin surgical technique and the Clinical Team’s approach is considered best-practice fistula treatment globally.
Physiotherapy
An arduous labour can cause nerve damage, while long periods of immobility can result in muscle contractures – conditions most women with fistula injuries experience. All Hamlin patients receive a tailored physiotherapy programme before and after fistula repair surgery to make sure they regain full function in their muscles.
Counselling
The emotional trauma of fistula can often be more scarring than the physical injury. Healing the psychological scars and building confidence is a key part of rehabilitation. Women receive compassionate support to help them regain their sense of self, often after living in shame and isolation for years.
Nutrition
Good nutrition is an essential part of healing. Many women with fistula are malnourished as they spend their lives hidden and in isolation. Patients at Hamlin hospitals receive healthy, nutritious meals during their stay to build up their strength and encourage faster recovery.
Vocational Training
The Hamlin Model of Care places great emphasis on empowering women to take control of their lives. During their stay at a Hamlin hospital, women can develop their numeracy and literacy skills and receive vocational and life skills training, empowering them to return to their community with confidence and the ability to earn an income.
Reintegration Support
Many women lose everything due to the devastating impact of their fistula injuries. They’re also often ostracised from their communities. Hamlin supports women with reintegration into their communities and independent living by helping them find sustainable employment or start their own businesses. This support is critical to equipping women to live with dignity.
Women's Empowerment Programme
Hamlin’s Women’s Empowerment Programme gives former fistula patients in need of income support vital vocational skills at Desta Mender. This groundbreaking initiative trains around 265 women every year, offering a range of opportunities, including leadership and communications training, as well as small-business guidance. These life-changing skills give women choices and independence – empowering their communities and those around them.
Obstetric fistula surgery
In most cases, obstetric fistula can be repaired with a single life-changing surgery, but for some women who have suffered for many years, their injuries will require more complex treatment.
At Hamlin’s six hospitals in Ethiopia, women receive life-changing obstetric fistula treatment free of charge, thanks to a community of people who are determined to eradicate fistula, forever.
Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia is globally renowned for its obstetric fistula treatment. Surgeons from around the world visit and train at Hamlin hospitals to learn best practice fistula-repair surgery.
Developed by Dr Catherine Hamlin, this pioneering surgical technique has been recognised by global leading organisations including the Australian Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Global Health Council, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons.
We don’t just treat the hole in the bladder, we treat the whole patient with love and tender care, literacy and numeracy classes, a brand-new dress and money to travel home.
- Dr Catherine Hamlin
Meet some members of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s Clinical Team
Surgeons from around the globe visit and train at Hamlin’s hospitals to learn these acclaimed obstetric fistula treatment methods.
Other gynaecological treatments
In addition to obstetric fistula surgery, all six Hamlin Fistula Hospitals provide a range of gynaecological treatments to women, including advanced pelvic organ prolapse surgery.
These women have suffered more than any woman should be called upon to endure. To meet only one is to be profoundly moved and calls forth the utmost compassion that the human heart is capable of feeling.
- Dr Catherine Hamlin
Find out more about what we do
Rehabilitation & Reintegration
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