The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital - 26.06.15

The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital was built in 1974 by Dr Catherine Hamlin AC and her late husband Dr Reginald Hamlin OBE, to treat Ethiopian women suffering from obstetric fistula. Obstetric fistula is the tragic outcome of an obstructed labour causing permanent incontinence and the social stigma that comes with it. This condition is completely preventable with access to obstetric care.

 

Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 as well as 2014, Dr Catherine Hamlin has spent the last 55 years living in Addis Ababa, operating on, and curing, thousands of women with childbirth injuries. Along with a team of surgeons, Dr Catherine Hamlin treats over 2,800 patients each year, using a surgical technique pioneered by the Hamlins in Ethiopia over 50 years ago. More than 35,000 patients have been treated to date.

 

We invite you to join us in our ongoing fight to eradicate this debilitating condition. On Friday 26th June at the Ethiopian Embassy, Princes Gate, Kensington, we will be holding a fundraiser: a drinks reception and a film screening of 'Go On', a new documentary about the story of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. There will be plenty of opportunities to donate and get involved!

 

Hamlin Fistula UK Granddaughters of Dr Reginald and Dr Catherine Hamlin, Catherine and Sarah Hamlin are working alongside Hamlin Fistula UK to support and promote awareness and fundraising in the UK.

 

Photos courtesy of Joni Kabana

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