WAHA - Women and Health Alliance International

Gondar University was established in Gondar, the formal capital of Ethiopia in 1954, and includes the oldest medical school in Ethiopia. It currently has 13,000 students enrolled on undergraduate and postgraduate courses offered by twenty-two departments.

AMREF is an international African organisation headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. It was established in 1957, when three surgeons started the Flying Doctor Service of East Africa, laying the foundation for what is now one of the continent’s leading health development and research organisations.

In 2003, UNFPA and partners launched a global Campaign to End Fistula with the goal of making obstetric fistula as rare in developing countries as it is in the industrialized world. The target date for fistula elimination is 2015, in line with MDG targets to improve maternal health.

The International Society of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons hosts an annual conference that brings together health professionals and patients from around the world to share their experiences and research findings, and to exchange lessons learned and best practices.

LIRASEF (Ligue d’Initiative et de Recherche Active pour la Santé et l’Education de la Femme) or in English, LARIFEH (League for Active Research and Initiative for Female Education and Health) is a Cameroonian non-profit organisation established in 1997. It is composed of multidisciplinary scientists whose purpose is to contribute as far as possible to the improvement of women’s heath and education.

The Senegalese Initiative for Fistula Eradication is a non-profit initiative that was established by Professor Serigne Maguèye Guèye in 2005.

The Nigeria National Fistula Project began with a single surgical operation in December 1983 in Katsina State, and has since gradually expanded over the course of 25 years to become the largest fistula repair and training centre in the world.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) is a global health partnership launched in September 2005 and joins the maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) communities into an alliance of some 300 members to ensure that all women, infants and children not only remain healthy, but thrive.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. Founded in 1919, the International Federation comprises 186 member Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. The Federation's vision is to strive, through voluntary action, for a world of empowered communities, better able to address human suffering and crises with hope, respect for dignity and a concern for equity.

Adama University and WAHA International are working in partnership to create a new obstetric fistula care service within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Assela Teaching Hospital. The hospital is situated in Assela town, South-East of the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa.

Since the beginning of 2010, WAHA International has been working in partnership with Jimma University in Ethiopia. The partnership agreement between WAHA International and Jimma University provides support to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, including the integration of a new obstetric fistula care service. In addition, a new training program for obstetric fistula care will be established and incorporated within the existing medical training curriculum.

The Fistula Foundation was founded in 2000 in the USA, primarily supporting the fistula hospital in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Since then the Fistula Foundation has increased its support to other organisations and countries worldwide.

The African Midwives Research Network (AMRN) is a network of midwives that aims to share information, strategies, and solutions based on scientific evidence for providing quality midwifery care in the Africa region.

In Senegal, the state has committed 10% of its budget to the health sector. However, it is clear that despite the efforts of the government and its partners, maternal and child health indicators and child show an alarming situation in some parts of the country. In the rural region of Kedougou for example, the maternal mortality rate is extremely high at 703/100,000 live births.