Teenage Pregnancy Driving Rise In Obstetric Fistula Cases – Says Gem Hub Initiative

Nigeria’s high rate of teenage pregnancy is worsening cases of obstetric fistula, health advocates warned on Friday. They said poor maternal healthcare and delays in emergency treatment continue to leave many young women with preventable childbirth injuries.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the warning came from the Gem Hub Initiative as the world marked the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula.

Obstetric fistula is a severe childbirth injury caused mainly by prolonged obstructed labour without timely medical intervention, particularly emergency caesarean section. The condition can leave women unable to control urine or faeces and often exposes survivors to stigma, abandonment and emotional trauma.

“Nigeria still records a high rate of teenage pregnancy, one of the underlying factors of obstetric fistula,” said Oyeyemi Pitan, executive director of the Gem Hub Initiative.

“Our work in communities shows that far more needs to be done,” she added.

The organisation said many survivors also lose their babies during labour and later face rejection, shame and social isolation.

Experts point to teenage pregnancy, child marriage, poverty and poor access to maternal healthcare as the main drivers of obstetric fistula in Nigeria.

A 2026 study by Johns Hopkins University estimated that about 457,000 women aged 15 to 64 were living with obstetric fistula globally in 2020. Advocates say Nigeria remains among the countries with the heaviest burden.

Gem Hub Initiative called for greater investment in adolescent health programmes, stronger maternal healthcare systems and faster access to emergency obstetric care to help eliminate fistula by 2030.