project
kickstart
We believe in the power of proximity
We know that it is those closest to the problem who know how best to solve it.
But all too often, those closest to the problem can’t access what they need to do so. One of the leading factors restricting women from receiving care is a lack of critical resources. 80% of fistula repair surgeons are outside the reach of traditional funding.
In Operation Fistula’s pilot project (2012-2014) we granted individual performance-based funding to surgeons as they provided evidence of quality care. The results proved an innovative and cost-effective way to leverage funding.
It proved that if we aligned funding with output, it led to increased service and quality of care.
operation fistula's pilot
2012 - 2014
goal #1
Activate 5 Partnerships in
3 Countries
goal #2
Improve Surgical Throughput by
30% in a Year
goal #3
Support Treatment for 200 Women
with Fistula
21 Partnerships in 4 Countries
9 of these surgeons received direct funding, while the other 12 were funded through partnerships with grassroots organizations and UNFPA Madagascar.
Our pioneering partnership with UNFPA Madagascar represented the first time the UNFPA has accepted conditional funding for fistula.
Surgical Throughput Improved by 39%
In Malawi we improved local surgical capacity by 198% in the first year. In Madagascar, we encouraged local surgeons to treat fewer patients and focus on quality improvements. Throughput decreased by 9% over the group of Malagasy surgeons (from 152 to 138). In Mauritania, we had a slight increase in volume over a small number of patients.
752 Women received treatment
This number so significantly exceeded our target because need demanded it.
We reallocated budget to treat more patients and even mobilized additional resources to extend the pilot. We consistently receive funding requests from surgeons who have women waiting for surgery, but no resources to deliver treatment.
Kickstart:
the catalyst to bridge the gap
Project Kickstart has been designed to take the pilot's proof of concept and magnify it across the sector
Kickstart provides catalytic funding to fistula organizations and surgeons who are currently out of reach of traditional funding streams. We’re working to mobilize and distribute the resources necessary for these qualified providers of care to deliver these life-changing surgeries.
how it works:
Step 1
Operation Fistula recruits surgeons who are qualified, current, and registered with a relevant professional body.
step 2
Candidates for our funding are reviewed by international expert surgeons to determine their eligibility.
step 3
Operation Fistula contracts the surgeons who then receive the funding, once we receive evidence of quality care through our GOFAR platform.
A high-quality catalyst
By requiring participating surgeons to use the Global Obstetric Fistula Automated Registry – GOFAR – to access this individual performance-based funding, we are able to achieve the following:
capacity building
Kickstart helps to build the capacity of local surgeons. Because we're always keeping track of quality, we can identify areas where surgeons might need more training and development.
greater access
This project enables more patients to access the treatment that will change their lives because it empowers surgeons with the resources they need to deliver treatment.
remarkable detail
Aligning Kickstart with GOFAR means that surgical quality, patient data, and clinical outcomes are all tracked digitally, and at unprecedented levels of detail.
Kickstart improves outcomes for everyone, but most especially the women needlessly suffering with obstetric fistula
join us!
If you are a fistula surgeon interested in helping us drive a quality-focused revolution, we’d love to hear from you.
get in touch
If you're interested in becoming a recipient of Kickstart funding, get in touch!
support us
Help is deliver this critical funding to the surgeons that need it. Together, we can help more women access treatment, strengthen national health systems, and collect valuable data to reveal new insights.
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