Wife of the Governor of Niger State, Dr. Amina Abubakar Bello, has advocated increased awareness against one of the common disease ravaging women, Vissico Virginal Fistula (VVF). The disease is common among under-aged or young mothers which hit them as a result of early birth.
Amina Sani Bello made the plea in Bida, while declaring open a VVF Camp, where surgeries were conducted on 30 women with the condition, who by virtue of their predicaments, have suffered rejection and victimization from families, friends and loved ones.
The governor’s wife, who is also the founder of RAiSE Foundation, said that with increased education and awareness, VVF could be checked if not completely eliminated among young mothers, who are mostly victims of early marriage.
VVF and related trends are resultant effects of prolonged labour, the governor’s wife pointed out, adding however that the situation is further compounded by poor health attendant as many of the victims rarely have access to quality medical attention.
According to her, “Prolonged labour is one of the main causes of VVF and instead of them going to the Primary Health Care Centers close to them for attention during birth complications they try to deliver at home which leads to more problems.
“By the time they eventually get to standard PHC centre the situation would have become more compounded and in the process of trying to deliver they might have lost the child and VVF condition also develops.”
Due to the prevalent cases of VVF in the northern states, the governor’s wife said that she was considering setting up a VVF centre that will serve the entire north-central states because there is none within the reach of the victims to access in the zone.
While appealing to traditional institutions in Niger State to support the campaign against VVF, Amina said that Nigerians should join hands in the fight against the scourge by ‘making the enlightenment for the elimination of the scourge everybody’s business’.