Improving obstetric fistula care in Africa: The case for regenerative medicine

Obstetric fistula remains one of the most neglected maternal health conditions, with >500,000 women untreated and 50,000-100,000 new cases annually, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Its consequences, chronic incontinence, infections, infertility, and stigma, are devastating. Surgical repair is the cornerstone of care, but a shortage of trained surgeons limits access, and outcomes are suboptimal: recurrence occurs in up to 20%, and up to one-third have persistent incontinence. These realities highlight the urgent need for adjunctive therapeutic strategies alongside surgery.