The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) co-ordinated the production of a training manual, the Global Competency-Based Fistula Surgery Training Manual, aimed at healthcare providers from low- and middle-income countries involved in the prevention and management of fistula.
The purpose of the manual is to enable dedicated physicians to acquire the knowledge, skills and professionalism needed to prevent obstetric fistulae and provide proper surgical, medical and psychosocial care to women who have incurred fistulae, whether during childbirth or because of inflicted trauma.
The manual was produced with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and with the collaboration of fistula surgeons, professional organisations and specialist health organisations, including the International Society of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons (ISOFS); UNFPA; EngenderHealth; and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). FIGO’s Fistula Committee played a pivotal role in the development of the manual.
