By Georgia FreeTuesday 21 Nov 2023Hope DriveSocial JusticeReading Time: 3 minutes
From Ethiopia to Sierra Leone, Tanzania to Togo, Dr Andrew Browning has spent his career trying to make lives better.
Dr Browning is regarded as a world expert in obstetric fistula surgery – and over the last two decades has operations that have saved the lives of thousands of women across Africa. He also started his own charity the Barbara May Foundation to continue this work across the continent, and into Asia. Dr Browning joined Hope Drive to discuss his work, the expansion of the foundation and a dire situation in Ethiopia that has escaped news headlines.
Obstetric Fistulas: what are they?
Obstetric fistulas occur when women have no access to safe obstetric care. In poorer regions of Africa, women often give birth in their villages – with no doctors, midwives or medication.
“Across the world, in around one-in-twenty births, the baby doesn’t fit out properly,” Dr Browning told Hope Drive.
In Australia, when this occurs, a Caesarean is performed. However, for women without obstetric care, they remain in labour for several days.
Most of the time, this results in the death of the mother, child or both. However, in the cases that the mother awakens after birth, a fistula has often developed.
“Because they’ve been in labour for so long, the baby’s head has pressed against the pelvis, the tissues die. And when the tissues come away, they’re left with a hole called a fistula,” Dr Browning explained.
“Their bladder then leaks uncontrollably for the rest of their lives, unless they are able to be treated.”
Women then live a life of ostracization – often their husbands will leave them, and their villages will shun them due to lack of education surrounding the condition. Two million women across Africa alone are waiting for fistula surgeries – and Dr Browning wants to treat them all.
Beautiful mums with their healthy babies
“Missionary doctors came to visit Sunday school…exciting me with stories of adventures of serving God in faraway places,” Dr Browning said.
From Sunday school to missionary medicine
Dr Browning recalls always wanting to be a missionary doctor – from the time he was a young boy.
“Missionary doctors came to visit Sunday school…exciting me with stories of adventures of serving God in faraway places,” Dr Browning said.
“And I guess I haven’t really grown up from that point.”
As a medical student, Dr Browning served in Rwandan refugee camps in a mission hospital, and later was invited to work with Catherine Hamlin – who, with her husband, built a fistula hospital in Ethiopia.
Andrew worked with Catherine for 10 years, before starting the Barbara May Foundation in 2009 – to take fistula work beyond Ethiopia, into the rest of Africa and into southeast Asia.
“We’ve helped start fistula hospitals all around Africa, as well as train many surgeons and doctors,” Dr Browning said.
“However, we most importantly prevent fistula from occurring in the first place by building maternity hospitals.
“In the last year alone, we gave 15,000 women free, safe obstetric care. And we want to create ten new hospitals in ten years.”
Between war, famine, drought and locust plagues – 700,000 people within the Afar tribe are now facing starvation.
Dire situation in Ethiopia
Andrew’s aunt Valerie Browning lives in the Afar desert in Ethiopia, after marrying into the tribe. Alongside Andrew, they built a hospital there together, which Val runs.
However, the last few years have seen the Afar region reach breaking point. Between war, famine, drought and locust plagues – 700,000 people within the Afar tribe are now facing starvation.
Additionally, the Barbara May Foundation are trying to support 25,000 pregnant women within the tribe – but resources are low, and Dr Browning worries for the future.
“Please pray. You won’t hear about it on the news, but when you have no food, it’s so desperate.”
Listen to Dr Andrew Browning’s interview in the player above.
For more information, including how to help the Afar tribe in Ethiopia, visit the Barbara May Foundation website.