Two countries, one injury: Obstetric fistula in Nigeria and Somalia Obstetric fistula is a devastating yet preventable condition that continues to affect women with limited access to pre- and postnatal care. Kate Rankin May 28 2026, 8:22am On the other side of the African continent, Hodan* walked into Bay Regional Hospital in Baidoa, southwestern Somalia , after suffering for eight years from urinary incontinence caused by a difficult delivery. She had been married as a teenager in a village on the rural outskirts of Bur Hakaba.