Access Bank (Ghana) Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to strengthen collaboration under the Partnership to End Obstetric Fistula in Ghana.
The agreement reaffirms the bank’s commitment to improving maternal health and restoring the dignity of women living with the condition.
The partnership marks a significant step in Access Bank Ghana’s long-running campaign against obstetric fistula, with both institutions aiming to expand access to corrective surgeries, intensify public awareness and mobilise sustainable funding to eliminate the condition.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Accra yesterday on behalf of the Managing Director, Mrs Pearl Nkrumah, the Executive Director for Retail and SME Banking, Mr Eugene Ocansey, said the initiative reflected the bank’s purpose-driven approach to corporate social responsibility.
He explained that since 2018, the bank had led the Fight Against Fistula campaign, working with health professionals, advocates and development partners to restore hope and dignity to affected women.
Mr Ocansey said the bank was now transitioning from a campaign to a more sustainable institutional framework through the establishment of the Fistula Trust Fund.
He described the fund as a transparent and structured platform that would enable individuals, institutions and corporate organisations to contribute towards surgeries and rehabilitation for women affected by obstetric fistula.
He acknowledged the technical leadership of UNFPA in addressing the condition, as well as the contributions of partners such as the Mercy Women’s Catholic Hospital and the Kaysens Group, whose efforts, he said, had strengthened Ghana’s response.
The Deputy Representative of UNFPA Ghana, Dr Emmily Naphambo, commended Access Bank for renewing its commitment, stressing that collaboration between government, development partners and the private sector remained essential to ending obstetric fistula.
She explained that obstetric fistula, a childbirth-related injury, had far-reaching consequences beyond physical health, affecting women’s dignity, livelihoods and social inclusion.
Dr Naphambo noted that many affected women continued to suffer in silence, often facing stigma, isolation and economic hardship.
She said restoring a woman’s health through fistula repair also restored her dignity, productivity and role within her family and community, adding that no meaningful human capital development could be achieved if vulnerable women were left behind.
Dr Naphambo disclosed that the partnership aimed to support about 2,499 fistula repair cases annually and clear a backlog of 7,130 cases, with the ultimate goal of eliminating the condition in Ghana by 2030.
She added that efforts were also underway to make fistula repair services routinely available in health facilities across the country, rather than relying mainly on periodic outreach surgical camps.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
