Obstetric Fistula

This course has been updated, and this version is now unavailable. Please find the new 2024 version of the Obstetric Fistula course here. The French version will be available soon. Sorry for any inconvenience.

The fourth online training course in the field of maternal and perinatal health by MHTF/OMPHI/GFMER/TGHN
An interactive course for health professionals

About the development of this course

Hover your cursor over each of the following for further information or click to visit the respective websites:

Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF)

Oxford Maternal & Perinatal Health Institute (OMPHI)

The Global Health Network (TGHN)

Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research (GFMER)

Since 2010, OMPHI , MHTF and GFMER have been working together to produce e-learning materials in the field of maternal and perinatal health. They have already produced three online training courses entitled “The evidence-based management of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia”, “The evidence-based management of Postpartum haemorrhage” and “Maternal Infections”. These three modules have been disseminated to health professionals worldwide, through the joint efforts of collaborating partners.

In reference to the significant achievement in disseminating evidence-based knowledge and the high demand for similar courses, MHTF/OMPHI/TGHN/GFMER developed a fourth e-learning course on Obstetric Fistula, which is an important cause of maternal morbidity in low and middle-income countries, where access to skilled birth attendants is limited. Each year between 50,000 to 100,000 women worldwide are affected by obstetric fistula. Women who experience obstetric fistula suffer constant incontinence, shame, social segregation and health problems. It is estimated that more than 2 million young women live with untreated obstetric fistula in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

The development of this course was motivated by the feedback received from health professionals participating in the previous e-Learning courses on pre-eclampsia & eclampsia, postpartum haemorrhage and maternal infections, demanding for a similar course on obstetric fistula.

How to get the most from the course

Thank you for taking this course. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful. We suggest you go through the modules in order. Follow the instructions on the screen and click all the relevant links so you do not miss out on anything! 

In each module you will find a link to key documents and articles if you click on the reference button.

The last section of the module is the knowledge assessment “Final Quiz”. You are invited to complete the final quiz. The participants who correctly answer at least 80% of the 30 multiple choice questions are entitled to a course certificate jointly signed by the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of Oxford, Harvard Maternal Health Taskforce, The Global Health Network and the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Course duration - 4 hours

Course contents:

Please download your certificate from your profile page once a minimum of 80% is achieved across all quizzes. For any further information visit our FAQs page.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated; please take a couple of minutes to tell us your thoughts on this course: 

Click here to take survey

Principle author and coordinator:

Charles-Henry Rochat, MD, Specialist in operative surgery
Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New-York, Associate, Professor of Urology, Faculté des Sciences de la Santé, Benin, GFMER Director of "Obstetric Fistula Program", Member of Fistula Committee of FIGO, Member of OFWG (International Obstetric Fistula Working Group)

Advisory group:

Ana Langer, MD
Director, Women and Health Initiative / Director, Maternal Health Task Force / Professor of the Practice of Public Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, US

José Villar MD, MPH, MSc, FRCOG
Professor of Perinatal Medicine, Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, UK

Aldo Campana, MD
Emeritus Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva / Director, Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Switzerland

Editorial team:

Bonventure Ameyo Masakhwe, MD
Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Kenya

Karim Abawi, MD, MSc
Project Manager, Education & Research, Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Switzerland

Raqibat Idris, MD
Technical Officer, Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Switzerland

Lynn Gertiser
Public Health Nurse, Certified Nurse-Midwife, Master’s Degree in Science
Technical Officer, Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Switzerland

Application developers:

Liam Boggs
Training Manager, The Global Health Network, Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, University of Oxford, UK

Karen Bird
Training Assistant, The Global Health Network, Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, University of Oxford, UK

Reviewers:

Mary Nell Wegner, EdM, MPH
Executive Director, Maternal Health Task Force, Professor of the Practice of Public Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health

Dr. Francis Githae Muriithi, MBChB, MMed (O&G)
Clinical Research Fellow & Honorary Specialist Registrar, Nuffield Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology & The Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK

Dr.Jane Hirst, MD
Nuffield Medical Fellow & Locum Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology Nuffield Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, OUH NHS Trust University of Oxford, UK