Operation Fistula
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Operation Fistula's work is obstetric fistula care, so it fits best with fistula organisations and surgeons working in under-resourced settings.
- Its Kickstart route is open to surgeons who are qualified, current and registered with a relevant professional body, and international expert surgeons review each candidate for eligibility, so other applicants should not expect to qualify.
- Funding is performance-based and paid after the work is done, once data validating free, high-quality care has been submitted through GOFAR, so it does not suit anyone who needs money up front.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but no grant range is stated, and the annual report gives one total of £36,000, so ask the charity about likely amounts before you set a figure.
- How competitive the process is has not been stated.
Overview
Operation Fistula is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1162031).
Operation Fistula exists to end obstetric fistula by building models of care that serve every woman, everywhere. It runs three programmes: fistula repair for every woman, everywhere (FREE), which is currently being implemented in Madagascar; Kickstart, which provides catalytic funding to fistula organisations and surgeons who are currently out of reach of traditional funding streams; and GOFAR, a shared measurement system for the sector. It says it currently funds treatment in 22 countries.
What they fund
Priority Areas
Operation Fistula provides performance-based catalytic funding to fistula organisations and surgeons who cannot access traditional funding. It focuses on surgeons treating obstetric fistula in under-resourced settings, with funding delivered after they have done the work and supplied data validating high-quality care at no cost to the patient. The model trusts providers closest to the problem to allocate unrestricted resources to their patients’ needs and local context. It aims to enable grassroots providers to offer free, high-quality care to women with obstetric fistula. Data collection is a condition of its performance-based funding and helps verify the care provided.
Themes
- Obstetric fistula care
How to apply
For Kickstart, interested surgeons get in touch. Operation Fistula recruits those who are qualified, current and registered with a relevant professional body, then international expert surgeons review candidates for eligibility.
Who can apply:
- Kickstart: Surgeons who are qualified, current, and registered with a relevant professional body.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- Funding follows evidence of quality care submitted through GOFAR.
Where they fund
Registered area of operation (Charity Commission)
- Bangladesh
- Cameroon
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Nepal
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Operation Fistula.
6 years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2020 | £779,622 | £695,182 | £334,799 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2020 |
| year to 31 December 2021 | £352,836 | £541,111 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £530,678 | £586,750 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £269,706 | £255,493 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £362,183 | £369,945 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | — | — | £36,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2020: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.
— No grants figure for that year.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- opfistula.org
- opfistula.org/kickstart · read on 31 October 2026
- opfistula.org/what-we-do · read on 31 October 2026
- opfistula.org/who-we-are · read on 31 October 2026
- opfistula.org/gofar · read on 31 October 2026
- opfistula.org/contact-us · read on 31 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 31 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Operation Fistula?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- info@opfistula.orgsource
- Lot VD 33 Ter - 2ème étage Ambanidia 101 Antananarivo Madagascarsource
- Lambourne House 311-321 Banbury Rd Oxford OX2 7JH UKsource
- 701 Tillery Street #12 Austin TX 78702 USAsource
- opfistula.org
Applying to Operation Fistula?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- info@opfistula.orgsource
- Lot VD 33 Ter - 2ème étage Ambanidia 101 Antananarivo Madagascarsource
- Lambourne House 311-321 Banbury Rd Oxford OX2 7JH UKsource
- 701 Tillery Street #12 Austin TX 78702 USAsource
- opfistula.org