85 per cent of VVF patients in Kebbi are rural dwellers – Expert

The Director, Vesico Viginal Fistula (VVF) Center in Kebbi, Dr Abubakar Dakingari, on Sunday said 85 per cent of the patients in the centre were rural dwellers.

Dakingari said most of the clients of the centre were of poor background and lacked access to healthcare facilities.


He said the center had, however, recorded increase in the number of patients from within and outside the country.

He said the center had treated 214 patient in 2014, describing lack of qualified surgeons and nurses as its major challenges.

Dakingari urged government and philanthropists to fund the centre to enhance its service to poor rural dwellers, adding that the center had no laboratory technicians, nurses, record keepers and pharmacists.

He said the fund being provided by government was insufficient and commended some Non Governmental Organisations, such as UNFPA and USAID for supporting the centre.

``VVF is caused by prolonged obstructed labour contrary to belief that it was caused by early marriage.


``The disproportion between the head size of the baby and the pelvis of the mother result to VVF when the bladder is sandwiched between the skull of the foetus and the pelvis.

``The prolonged pressure on the bladder interrupts blood supply to that part of the area and that caused urine leakage from the bladder into the vagina.’’

He said some cultural practices such as the female vaginal mutilation also cause VVF.