[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 82 (Tuesday, May 26, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE INTERNATIONAL DAY TO END OBSTETRIC FISTULA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 26, 2015

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of the International 
Day to End Obstetric Fistula.
  Obstetric fistula, a debilitating condition, has left hundreds of 
thousands of women suffering in solitude and shame. It is perhaps one 
of the most telling examples of inequitable access to maternal health 
care and, until recently, one of the most hidden.
  Addressing this issue is not only a moral imperative for the United 
States, but it is also in our best strategic interest. When women are 
pushed out of society, they cannot contribute. By treating and 
preventing this condition, we empower women to care for themselves and 
their families, and be active participants in society, reducing global 
poverty.
  Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and 
Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, 
recently said, ``Let us decide, as a global community, that the world 
we want is one where fistula no longer exists. Let us, once and for 
all, put an end to this assault on women's and girls' health and human 
rights, which steals from them their very dignity and destroys the most 
fundamental of human qualities: hope. Much of the world has already 
virtually eliminated fistula. It is time to finish the job. Let us all 
work together to wipe fistula off the map.''
  The International Day to End Obstetric Fistula is an important 
opportunity to raise awareness of a condition that is not well-
understood, even in societies where it is prevalent. I urge everyone to 
use the day of recognition to help raise awareness and intensify 
actions towards ending obstetric fistula.

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