Fireside Chat with Dr. Stephen Foster | Fistula Care in Angola

Join Fistula Foundation's Lindsey Pollaczek for an intimate conversation with Dr. Stephen Foster, a pioneering fistula surgeon who has dedicated over 45 years to serving women in Angola. Dr. Foster is the founder and medical director of the Centro Evangélico de Medicina do Lubango (CEML), one of Fistula Foundation's longest-standing partners. The grandson of missionaries who first went to Zambia in 1917, Dr. Foster has built his life in Angola, where he has lived for more than four decades. In 1971, while still in medical training, he visited his father's hospital in rural Angola and was called to meet the needs of those living in the most remote regions of Africa. At CEML, Dr. Foster performs approximately 150 obstetric fistula surgeries per year while training the next generation of Angolan health professionals. His innovative Patient Village provides holistic care—including counseling, skills training, and community support—ensuring women receive far more than surgical repair alone. In this conversation, we explore: The unique challenges Angolan women face in accessing fistula care Why fistula remains so prevalent despite decades of intervention How CEML is building surgical capacity for the future What keeps Dr. Foster committed to this life-saving work after all these years