Sponsor
Rosa L. Delauro
Representative · D-CT
Representative · D-CT
The bill would expand U.S. support for prevention, treatment, training, and targeted assistance for obstetric fistula—improving outcomes for many women in low‑income countries—while requiring additional foreign aid and administrative spending and raising sustainability, eligibility, and resource‑allocation trade‑offs.
Women in low‑income and least developed countries will gain increased access to prevention and treatment (skilled birth attendants, emergency obstetric care, trained OB–GYNs and urogynecologic specialists), reducing obstetric fistula incidence and maternal mortality.
Local health systems, hospitals, and the clinical workforce (medical/residency/midwifery students, healthcare workers) will be strengthened through new training centers, curricula, and hands‑on opportunities, increasing capacity to prevent and treat childbirth injuries.
Survivors will have greater access to surgical repairs and social reintegration services, restoring continence and enabling community and economic participation.
Programs risk being unsustainable: if funding, local infrastructure, or partner support stops, training pipelines and clinical services could be interrupted, reducing long‑term impact for vulnerable communities.
Taxpayers may face increased U.S. foreign aid and administrative costs to establish and operate overseas training centers, surgical campaigns, and required annual reporting and evaluations.
Emphasizing surgical repair without sustained, parallel health‑system strengthening and prevention efforts risks treating existing cases while failing to prevent new ones, sustaining long‑term costs and dependence on outreach campaigns.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes a Fogarty-led international program and a 10-year strategy to train OB/GYN and urogynecology specialists and build capacity to prevent and treat childbirth-related injuries in least developed countries.
Official title: To authorize assistance to train and retain obstetrician-gynecologists and sub-specialists in urogynecology and to help improve the quality of care to meet the health care needs of women in least developed countries, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 22, 2026 by Rosa L. Delauro · Last progress May 22, 2026
Creates a U.S.-led program and strategy to train, retain, and deploy OB/GYN and urogynecology physicians in least developed countries to prevent and treat childbirth-related injuries such as obstetric fistula. It authorizes an International OB/GYN and Urogynecology Promotion Program through the Fogarty International Center, requires a 10-year integrated strategy to address physician shortages with emphasis on women affected by childbirth injuries, and mandates annual reporting to Congress on program performance. The bill defines key terms (including childbirth-related injuries, low-income and least developed countries, and relevant agencies), directs partnerships with universities, midwifery programs, and clinical centers to build training and fellowship programs and training centers, and calls for coordination, capacity-building, and links between maternity facilities and community services. It focuses on prevention, surgical repair capacity, workforce development, and monitoring over a multi-year timeframe.