KANO State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has said that northern Nigeria, going by the available medical report, has the highest prevalence of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) which accounts for about 75 percent of cases out of 400,000 – 800,000 women in the country.

Ganduje made the assertion on Thursday at the Obstetric Fistula repair and empowerment program for 50 women with VVF in Kano State sponsored by First Bank PLC, as part of their CSR engagement held at Murtala Muhd Specialist Hospital, Kano.

He added “that there are between 12,000 – 20,000 new cases occurring every year with 90 percent remaining untreated. There are estimated about 2 million cases globally.”

Speaking on his behalf at the event, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Zahra’u Muhammad Umar, disclosed that obstetric fistula is associated with psychological, social and economic challenges.

Ganduje noted that the challenges also include stigma, discrimination, abandonment and neglect.

Executive Director of First Bank Plc, public sector, Mr Abdullahi Ibrahim, said the aim of this programme is part of the bank’s activities to provide social responsibility to the patients of the VVF.

According to him, VVF has been militating against women empowerment in this part of the country, hence “the need as part of our social responsibility to sponsor 50 women having VVF for free surgery operations.”

He added that after sponsoring them, the bank will also empower them with some facilities to enable them to start a business so that they will be self-engaged and be able to carry for themselves.

Mr Ibrahim further disclosed that “part of what we are doing is also to assist VVF survivor patients who have already been treated with kind of resources so that they will be able to take care of their family.

“In all, we were sponsoring surgery for 50 VVF patients while the bank also is empowering 100 patients that had been treated,” he added. (Nigerian Tribune)

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