By: Clare Bruce
Dr Catherine Hamlin, the Australian woman who changed the face of Ethiopia with her dream of eradicating obstetric fistula in that nation, has died Wednesday at her home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation has posted the following announcement:
Obstetric fistula is a condition that causes women to be socially ostracised after birth – it is a tear in the birth canal, leaving women leaking urine and sometimes faeces. They often become social outcasts, rejected by family and unable to participate in community life.
Reg and Catherine Hamlin’s dedicated work repairing obstetric fistulas has given many thousands of Ethiopian women a chance to experience a normal life again. Their hospital has trained many surgeons from all over the world in the condition, multiplying the impact of Catherine’s work across the globe.
Dr Catherine Hamlin became famous for her work through the book, The Hospital By the River.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
About the Author: Clare is a digital journalist for the Broadcast Industry.