January 24, 1924
March 18, 2020
Australian obstetrician Dr. Catherine Hamlin arrived in Ethiopia in 1959 and devoted 61 years to treating obstetric fistula, a childbirth injury affecting impoverished women. Co-founding the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in 1974, she pioneered surgical techniques restoring dignity to over 60,000 patients. Dubbed ‘Ethiopia’s Mother Teresa,’ she lived in Addis until her death at 96, training local surgeons and advocating globally for maternal health. Her memoir The Hospital by the River inspired the 2023 biopic Dr. Hamlin’s Revolution."*
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