PESHAWAR: Medical experts have warned that between 4,000 and 6,000 fistula cases are being reported annually in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in Peshawar, mainly due to unsafe childbirth practices and the growing number of unregistered quack clinics operating in urban and rural areas.

The remarks were made on Saturday during a seminar titled “Fistula and Childbirth Injury” organised at Peshawar Press Club in connection with the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula.

The seminar was organised by Pakistan National Forum for Women’s Health and attended by senior doctors including Prof Azra Ghani of the urology department at Lady Reading Hospital, Prof Samdana Wahab, head of the gynaecology department at Mercy Teaching Hospital, Assistant Prof Nazish Hayat of LRH’s gynaecology department and Dr Sadia Shamsheer from Hayatabad Medical Complex.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Samdana Wahab said obstetric fistula remained a serious health challenge in developing countries, with nearly two million women currently living with the condition worldwide. She said the disease usually develops during prolonged or unsafe childbirth and often results in stillbirths, adding that nearly 90 per cent of affected women deliver stillborn babies.

Experts also call for measures to improve maternal healthcare

She said thousands of women continued to suffer silently due to lack of awareness that treatment for the condition was available. “Fistula is no longer an incurable disease and treatment facilities are available in Peshawar,” she added.

Dr Wahab said hospitals including Lady Reading Hospital and Mercy Teaching Hospital were providing treatment and surgical care for fistula patients.

Assistant Prof Nazish Hayat said poverty, lack of awareness and inadequate healthcare services in remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were contributing to the rising number of cases. She said many affected women faced social isolation, while some families forced them to live separately due to misconceptions surrounding the disease.

She stressed the need for improving maternal healthcare services, timely medical intervention during childbirth, trained midwives, emergency obstetric care and access to family planning services to prevent fistula cases.

Prof Azra Ghani blamed unregistered quacks and unsafe delivery practices for the increasing number of fistula cases, urging the government to take strict action against illegal clinics.

“As long as quack centres continue to operate, innocent people will remain at risk,” she said, adding that women in tribal districts were particularly vulnerable because of poor healthcare infrastructure and lack of emergency medical facilities.

Dr Ghani also called for better training of lady health workers and midwives, improved monitoring of hospitals and the establishment of specialised healthcare institutions to reduce maternal deaths and childbirth-related complications.

She said a dedicated outpatient department for fistula patients was being established at Lady Reading Hospital to ensure regular treatment and rehabilitation services for affected women.

The speakers emphasised that ending obstetric fistula by 2030 would require greater investment in maternal healthcare, improved medical facilities and stronger community awareness regarding reproductive health rights and safe childbirth practices.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2026