Poverty, witchcraft blamed for fistula disease in Kwale

 Lack of knowledge and poverty are some of the key factors hindering women in coastal regions from accessing early treatment for Fistula disease.

In Kwale county, fistula disease is linked to witchcraft and curses, denying women access to treatment. 

Kabuka Ngao, a public health nurse at the Samburu subcounty hospital in Kwale county, said some families believe that fistula is a disease which cannot be treated, hiding the patients in their houses.

Ngao who is also a reproductive health coordinator said with the support of Fistula foundation and Bomu Hospital, they have made milestones in changing the mindset of the community through their outreach programmes. 

Culture has also contributed to the loss of lives of women with fistula because a woman is not supposed to make a decision even when she is at a point of losing her life.

"We have really come from far in creating awareness and educating the community. In Duruma culture, a woman is not supposed to make a decision on her own," she said.