Catherine Hamlin

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Catherine Hamlin
Hamlin in 2009
Born
Elinor Catherine Nicholson

(1924-01-24)24 January 1924
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died18 March 2020(2020-03-18) (aged 96)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
NationalityAustralian, Ethiopian
OccupationObstetrician
AwardsRight Livelihood Award

Elinor Catherine Hamlin, AC, FRCS, FRANZCOG, FRCOG (née Nicholson; 24 January 1924 – 18 March 2020) was an Australian obstetrician and gynaecologist who, with her husband, New Zealander Reginald Hamlin, co-founded the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, the world's only medical centre dedicated exclusively to providing free obstetric fistula repair surgery to poor women with childbirth injuries.[1] They also co-founded an associated non-profit organisation, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia.

Hamlin was recognised by the United Nations agency UNFPA as a pioneer in fistula surgery for her development of techniques and procedures for obstetric fistula treatment. The Hamlins, together with the hospital staff, have treated more than 60,000 women to date for obstetric fistula.[2] She died in Addis Ababa on 18 March 2020.[3]

  1. ^ Barlass, Tim (19 March 2020). "Catherine Hamlin, 'Saint of Addis Ababa', dies at 96". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  2. ^ Hamlin, Catherine; Little, John (2016). The hospital by the river (2nd ed.). Sydney, Australia: Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd. ISBN 978-1-74353-781-7.
  3. ^ "Catherine Hamlin: Grief in Ethiopia as trailblazing Australian doctor dies". BBC.com. 19 March 2020.