Treating conditions like obstetric fistula, a serious childbirth complication that can lead to severe incontinence, which can leave patients isolated and stigmatized, takes more than just medicines and technologies, it requires care.
Johnson & Johnson has long been committed to helping deliver fistula care. Most recently, in 2022, with support from the J&J Foundation, we joined with JHPIEGO to support the national Ministry of Health of Kenya to initiate a 3-year obstetric fistula pilot program designed to empower entire surgical teams from nurses to operating room staff to community health workers, to increase access to safe obstetric fistula surgical care across Makueni County.
In Kenya, an estimated 24,000 women are living with obstetric fistula, with around 3,000 new cases every year. Many women live in remote communities and face difficulties traveling to county or district hospitals due to stigma associated with their incontinence, leaving some isolated from their communities for decades.
Reaching communities where they are
In Makueni County, J&J provided tools to support safe surgery—including sutures, fistula scissors, and other essential tools—and facilitated the training of nurses and community health workers who are bridging the gap between women and the care they need and deserve.
As trusted champions of their community, community health workers can reach women who would otherwise not seek care. They travel into neighborhoods and homes, helping patients understand their options for care, navigating barriers like stigma and cost of transportation.
In the hospital, nurses provide the respectful and dignified care that patients deserve, preparing them for surgery and guiding them through recovery with empathy and compassion, creating a comfortable and safe space.
Many patients, especially those who have lived with the condition for years, require emotional and social support to fully recover. When patients return to their homes, they are supported by a whole care team including nurses, a physiotherapist, a counseling psychologist and a nutritionist to ensure they are healing and readjusting to their new lives.
These efforts have helped transform obstetric fistula care in eastern Kenya, not just by delivering safe, quality surgical care, but by restoring hope, dignity and the promise of a brighter future.
Supporting nurses to foster healthier communities
When nurses are connected to their communities, we all win.
That’s why through J&J CareCommunity, our global social impact platform focused on championing nurses and community health workers, we are supporting programs to equip nurses, like Josephine, to provide surgical care in their communities. Learn more about J&J CareCommunity today.
