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Restore. Empower. Equip.

Our goal is fistula-free and safe childbirth for every woman.

Hamlin Fistula New Zealand: A Mission of Hope

Our Vision: Fistula-free and safe childbirth for every woman

Our Mission: Making quality maternity care and expert treatment for childbirth injuries accessible for every woman.

Founded in Ethiopia by pioneering Kiwi and Australian surgeons, Reg and Catherine Hamlin, our work reflects a lifetime quest to provide treatment to the most marginalised women: those who have suffered an obstetric fistula.

Obstetric fistula is a complex injury with tragic results. The physical and psychological consequences of this childbirth injury are debilitating, traumatic and heart-breaking.

Established in 2005 at the request of Dr Catherine, Hamlin Charitable Fistula Hospitals Trust (known as Hamlin Fistula New Zealand) is a Kiwi charity committed to raising funds and awareness.

We are dedicated to providing lasting change for women and girls by addressing the root causes of obstetric fistula. Through training and providing skilled midwives, we aim to break the cycle of unrelieved obstructed labour that causes obstetric fistula in the first place.

Every woman deserves to be treated with dignity, care and compassion on their journey to bring new life into the world.

With over 70,000 successful repair operations completed to date, our mission now is to continue to fund the treatment of fistula injuries and prevent women from suffering through a fistula or other childbirth injury. Join us and save the lives of women and babies by ensuring excellent maternity care is accessible to all. 

Together Dr Reg and Dr Catherine proved what a difference in the world one or two individuals can truly make. Their legacy lives on and will continue to live on with your help. 

“Every mother is a family’s richest possession”

- Dr Reg Hamlin OBE

Join us to ensure the health and dignity of mothers by making quality maternity care and expert treatment for childbirth injuries accessible for every woman.

Congratulations to you… I believe this is God’s work on Earth, what you are doing.

Oprah Winfrey
  • Hamlin 12 Day Supporters Tour

    Hamlin 12 Day Supporters Tour

    We are very excited to be offer the 2024 Ethiopian Tour to our valued supporters. It is such a fantastic opportunity to personally experience the lasting work of Drs Reg and Catherine Hamlin, and to explore the fascinating country that they so loved.

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  • Meet Firomi: A senior Hamlin midwife 

    Meet Firomi: A senior Hamlin midwife 

    Firomi Shume is one of our dedicated and passionate Hamlin midwives working to prevent fistula and maternal death.  Now 26 years old, Firomi was born and raised in Mettu, a small town in West Ethiopia where one of the five Hamlin regional hospitals is located. It was from here that she was recruited for a…

    > Read more


  • 5 ways you can support us this year ...

    5 ways you can support us this year ...

    In honour of Catherine’s 100th birthday, your gift can restore the life of another woman like Emnet.  It costs $2,427 for one woman to receive fistula repair surgery, holistic care, and the essential items for her recovery.  To donate any amount, please click here Partner with us in raising awareness about the crucial need for…

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Help us give hope to every woman.

Keep up to date with our work including the latest news from our programmes in Ethiopia, ways to get involved and how your support is making a difference.
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Hamlin Fistula NZ is committed to providing ongoing support for fistula surgery and for the preventive work of the midwives. The hospital in Addis Ababa has become a centre of excellence to which doctors from other countries come to learn and master the specialist skills of fistula surgery.

Photography credits to Mary F. Calvert, Kate Geraghty, Amber Hooper, Joni Kabana, Joli Wescombe, Natasha Meyer and Martha Tadesse.