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One simple surgery gave Nassarata a whole new life.
Nassarata was 19 when a complicated labor left her incontinent, a symptom of a childbirth injury called obstetric fistula. For almost a decade, she went untreated, suffering and shunned by her community.
When IntraHealth first started strengthening fistula services in Mali, only one surgeon in the whole country knew how to treat complicated cases. We helped him train 18 others. And together with Mali’s government and local partners, we worked to make high-quality fistula services available in seven treatment sites across Mali.
During one of our treatment campaigns, Nassarata came for help at last. A surgeon repaired the fistula, free of charge. Now that she’s healed, she says, she wants to start a business—and someday have another baby.
The Fistula Care Project was funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). IntraHealth led the project’s efforts in Mali and is continuing to improve fistula care through a new USAID-funded project. Together with local partners, we will help rebuild and restore Mali’s health sector after years of conflict.
Read more about how we’re helping Mali to recover from years of violent conflict: