This archive report was first published on 1 December 2019.
On December 1, 2019, the Edna Adan University Hospital in Somaliland made significant progress in the fight against genital mutilation. The Somaliland Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a fatwa condemning the extreme form of genital cutting, which involves cutting away all the genitals and sewing the raw flesh shut with wild thorns.
Edna Adan, a long-time campaigner against the practice, has been working tirelessly since 1976 to raise awareness and bring about change. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed, and the hospital is now planning to use donations to purchase a machine that produces oxygen, a vital resource for babies and adults struggling to breathe.
With the help of readers, the hospital aims to buy a machine that produces oxygen, as well as start a lab to examine biopsies and Pap smears for cervical cancer. Currently, there is no place in the country to read Paps, and biopsies are sent to Ethiopia for examination.
But cervical cancer is not the only disease that affects women worldwide. It is estimated that more women die from cervical cancer than from childbirth, and it is a painful and humiliating way to die. However, cervical cancer is relatively cheap and easy to prevent with HPV vaccination or a screen-and-treat protocol for precancerous lesions.
One organization working to prevent cervical cancer is the Maya Health Alliance in Guatemala, also known as Wuqu’ Kawoq. The organization works with indigenous Maya villagers and has an American doctor, Kirsten Austad, who donates her time, making the organization’s work particularly cost-effective.
Another organization working to eradicate diseases that cause blindness and swelling is The End Fund. They are working to eradicate elephantiasis, river blindness, and trachoma, all of which have cheap and simple solutions.
