IntraHealth International will host its first gala fundraiser at the Fearrington Barn in Pittsboro on October 9. The event features four-time Emmy award nominee Sharon Lawrence and six-time Grammy award nominee singer-songwriter Nnenna Freelon, a Djembe drumming group, African dancers, and live auction. 100% of event proceeds will benefit the nonprofit’s End Shame: Restore Dignity campaign, working to ensure that more women with obstetric fistula receive the treatment they need and achieve the quality of life they deserve.

In many locations around the world, pregnant women without access to high-quality health care and emergency obstetric care are at risk for obstetric fistula. Fistula is a preventable and treatable condition caused by prolonged, obstructed labor that leaves women with chronic, debilitating incontinence and, in most incidences, results in death of the baby. Millions of women around the world suffer from the condition. It is often accompanied by pain, nerve damage, kidney disorders, and infections—and causes women extreme social isolation, abandonment and shame.

“We don’t hear much about fistula here in North Carolina, but many women across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia know it all too well,” says Louise Winstanly, chair of the board of directors at IntraHealth. “Obstetric fistula is an injustice we can eradicate. We have the solutions we need to transform the lives of millions of women around the world. But we must invest in those solutions.”

IntraHealth’s End Shame: Restore Dignity campaign takes a holistic approach to fighting fistula in Mali. IntraHealth works alongside the Malian government to educate health workers and make sure they’re stationed where they’re needed most, and to establish a sustainable model of care that goes beyond treatment. This includes educating women and girls on teen pregnancy, establishing specialized maternal health care facilities, training surgical teams and helping women reintegrate into their communities after treatment.

To purchase tickets to the event, visit www.endshamerestoredignity.com.