,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #eie  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,may #bb1 #bjad ,ms4
 ,de,lauro 7for herself1 ,mrs4 ,carolyn 
,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,mr4        
,conyers1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,norton1 
,mr4 ,deutch1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,ms4     
,mc,collum1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,ms4       
,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,ms4  
,bass1 ,ms4 ,meng1 and ,mr4 ,mc,dermott7
 submitted the following resolution2    
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,oversight and ,government ,reform      
,,resolution  ,supporting the goals and 
ideals of ,may #bc as the ,international
 ,day to ,end ,obstetric ,fistula to    
significantly raise awareness and       
intensify actions towards ending        
obstetric fistula4  ,whereas the ,united
 ,nations has designated ,may #bc as the
 ,international ,day to ,end ,obstetric 
,fistula2 ,whereas obstetric fistula is 
a catastrophic childbirth injury which  
arises as a complication of obstructed  
labor2 ,whereas an estimated #b1jjj1jjj 

to #c1jjj1jjj women currently are       
afflicted by the devastating physical   
and social effects of obstetric fistula1
 a scourge of epidemic proportions2     
,whereas as many as #ej1jjj to #ajj1jjj 
new cases occur each year2 ,whereas     
historically1 obstetric fistula affected
 women in the ,united ,states and around
 the world and advances in obstetric    
care and access to improved surgical    
techniques resulted in a drastic        
reduction in obstetric fistula by the   
early #bjth century in the ,united      
,states2 ,whereas today1 obstetric      
fistula primarily affects the poorest   
women in the poorest parts of the world2
 ,whereas obstetric fistula             
disproportionately affects women in     
sub-,saharan ,africa and ,asia and      
girls1 some as young as #ac years old1  
who are subjected to child marriage and 
whose bodies are not fully capable of   
handling the demands of childbirth2     
,whereas obstetric fistula1 which       
usually results in fetal death by       

asphyxia1 occurs when the tissues that  
normally separate a woman's vagina from 
her bladder or rectum are destroyed by  
lack of oxygenated blood getting to the 
tissue in the pelvic floor and prolonged
 pressure from the fetal head trapped in
 the birth canal2 ,whereas obstetric    
fistula typically occurs because a woman
 does not have access to emergency      
obstetric care or because she does not  
have the financial means1               
transportation1 or access to surgical   
repair2 ,whereas left untreated1 an     
obstetric fistula afflicts a woman with 
devastating physical conditions1        
including incontinence1 painful ulcers1 
and constant and uncontrollable emission
 of offensive odors2 ,whereas these     
symptoms leave a woman indelibly and    
perpetually stigmatized by her          
condition2 ,whereas because obstetric   
fistula does not heal on its own1 women 
affected by this condition are          
marginalized for the remainder of their 
lives2 ,whereas expelled from their     

communities and denied education and    
health care1 obstetric fistula victims  
are left in desperate economic          
circumstances2 ,whereas victims also    
suffer social ostracism that results in 
involuntary divorce1 exclusion from     
religious activities1 deepening poverty1
 malnutrition1 deteriorating physical   
health1 depression1 and despair2        
,whereas as a result1 victims are left  
defenseless and vulnerable2 ,whereas    
this social isolation compounds already 
existing problems such as illiteracy and
 lack of economic opportunities2        
,whereas because obstetric fistula are  
not themselves fatal1 millions of women 
live with this horrific condition and   
have been overlooked by the             
international medical community2        
,whereas obstetric fistula can be       
prevented when women and their families 
are educated about the birthing process 
and are provided access to emergency    
obstetric care2 ,whereas today1 doctors 
can surgically repair obstetric fistula 

with a low-cost1 low-technology surgery2
 ,whereas the impact of an obstetric    
fistula-repair surgery is immediate and 
consequential2 ,whereas women can be    
re-integrated into society and are      
afforded basic human necessities such as
 familial relationships1 health care1   
and the opportunity to earn a living2   
,whereas the prevention1 treatment1 and 
ultimately the eradication of obstetric 
fistula will advance the emancipation   
and empowerment of women1 strengthen    
families and communities1 and improve   
the overall economic1 educational1 and  
social well-being of affected societies2
 ,whereas basic interventions to        
identify and repair obstetric fistula   
have achieved meaningful and            
cost-effective results2 and ,whereas the
 nature of obstetric fistula1 and the   
fact that it affects vulnerable women in
 poor and isolated communities which    
offer little or no access to obstetric  
care1 demands a comprehensive1          
coordinated1 long-term1 international   

response focused on the prevention and  
treatment of obstetric fistula3 ,now1   
therefore1 be it  ,that the ,house of   
,representatives supports the goals and 
ideals of the ,international ,day to    
,end ,obstetric ,fistula to             
significantly raise awareness and       
intensify actions towards ending        
obstetric fistula4