Fistula Foundation

What Fistula Foundation does

Fistula Foundation, based in San Jose, California, pays for surgery to repair obstetric fistula in low-income countries across Africa and Asia. Obstetric fistula is a childbirth injury that leaves women with incontinence. The foundation says it funds more fistula surgeries than any other organization in the world.

It works by funding vetted partners, currently 102 hospitals and outreach organizations in 36 countries, to cover surgery, post-operative care and rehabilitation. It puts the average cost at $624 per patient. The foundation started in 2000 as an all-volunteer group and has since funded more than 135,000 surgeries. The Life You Can Save reports more than 16,500 surgeries in 2024 alone.

The Life You Can Save recommends Fistula Foundation. It estimates the cost at $1,189 per woman treated once all program and administrative costs are counted, and about $58 per year of healthy life restored. The foundation also holds four stars from Charity Navigator and an A grade from CharityWatch.

Key facts

• Has funded 135,000+ fistula repair surgeries for women (Fistula Foundation homepage)
• Average cost per patient is $624, covering surgery, post-operative care and physical rehabilitation (Fistula Foundation FAQ)
• Currently partners with 102 vetted hospitals and outreach organizations in 36 countries (Fistula Foundation FAQ)
• Provided more than 16,500 surgeries in 2024 (The Life You Can Save)

Before you give

• The Life You Can Save puts the direct surgery-and-care cost at $633 per woman and the fully loaded cost (all programmatic and administrative expenses) at $1,189 per woman treated.