World Health Organisation (WHO) Study on FGM and Obstetric Outcomes is Launched

On June 2nd a WHO study on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Obstetric outcomes was published in the Lancet medical journal. The paper, to which FORWARD founder Efua Dorkenoo OBE was a contributor, is the largest, most controlled study ever undertaken on the implications of FGM for the obstetric care of the women affected, the results were collected from over 28,000 women from six different African countries.

WHO is launching the research simultaneously in multiple countries across the world and here in the UK, the study was launched at the Home Office on Wednesday 7th June. At the launch a panel comprising of women’s health experts including Efua Dorkenoo and FORWARD Director Adwoa Kwateng-kluvitse discussed and reviewed the findings of this study which proves that there are serious complications during childbirth for women affected by FGM. These complications can seriously endanger the life of both mother and child and include the need for a caesarean, dangerously heavy bleeding during and prolonged bleeding after the birth. These findings clearly have great implications for the future of the campaign against FGM. As Dr. Heli Bathija, the study co-ordinator, from the WHO Reproductive Health and Research Department explained at the launch, ‘there is now no denying that there are very serious complications associated with FGM and child birth’.

FORWARD is pleased that this significant evidence is now available and believes that this research and future research will play a significant role in the advocacy and campaigning work of the organisation and is delighted that its founder contributed to this study.

Read further information about the launch and access the WHO Obstetric outcome study paper here