The perils of pregnancy in a remote third world village.
Helen Anderton SpeakerNet Sponsor
- Organisation:
- Hamlin Fistula UK
- Regions:
- West Midlands, East Midlands
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Charity
- Fee:
- Free: Any contribution will be passed direct to the charity.
- Category:
- Charity
- Updated:
- 6th May 2026
- Tagged:
- Women's Health | Charity | Ethiopia | Childbirth
In 1959, Australian obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Catherine Hamlin and her husband Dr Reg Hamelin arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to set up a midwifery school. They soon recognised that the lack of medical care in childbirth was leading to many women, particularly in the rural areas of Ethiopia, suffering the catastrophic effects of a childbirth injury known as obstetric fistula. They set up the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in 1974 and founded Hamelin Fistula Ethiopia. For the next 60 years they dedicated their lives to helping these women – Reg died in 1993, but Catherine was operating into her 90s and died in 2020 at the age of 96. Her team continue the work and there are now six specialist hospitals in Ethiopia, which have treated over 60,000 women.
Hamelin Fistula UK is the UK arm of the charity, which is dedicated to ensuring all women in Ethiopia have access to assistance in childbirth, with the aim of eradicating obstetric fistula.
Views: 19 | Enquiries: 0About Helen Anderton
I am a retired Senior Bank Manager, and have lived in a small village in the East Midlands for the past 30 years.
I first came across the charity "Hamelin Fistula UK" almost 40 years ago and have been supporting them ever since, both by covenanted financial donations, and by working with friends to create knitted blankets to be sent to provide cheer and comfort to their patients in Ethiopia, who are being treated for the devastating childbirth injury known as Obstetric Fistula.
In 2026 the UK arm of the charity, Hamlin Fistula UK, asked supporters if anyone would be willing to be trained to act as a volunteer speaker to spread the word of this vital work, and I was delighted to be chosen to do so. I have a professionally produced slide/video presentation, created by the charity, which I will bring on my laptop, so it just requires a digital projector and a screen/white wall.
Obstetric Fistula is almost unknown now in the UK, and if it does occur can be successfully treated immediately, but in the third world women can suffer in pain and humiliation for years without help. I look forward to being able to raise the profile of this very worthwhile cause.
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