Mission Aviation Fellowship Canada and World-Renowned Surgeon Bridge the ‘Last Mile’ for Angola’s Forgotten Women

GUELPH, ON, May 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the world prepares to mark the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula on May 23, a powerful, longstanding partnership is proving that specialized aviation is a critical link in solving a maternal health crisis in Angola. Dr. Stephen Foster, world-renowned missionary surgeon and McMaster University professor, has long relied on Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) to anchor his surgical outreach in Angola. Together, they are launching a high-impact push to bring help, hope and healing to women suffering in isolation due to preventable childbirth injuries.

For women like Minga, an obstetric fistula is more than a medical condition; it is a social death sentence. And the sad part is, it is largely preventable. Minga endured a week of obstructed labour after her family refused to pay for transport to a hospital 30 km away for a C-section. By the time she reached help, Minga was unconscious, her baby had died, and she was left with a ruptured uterus and nerve damage that temporarily prevented her from walking.

“Fistula is a devastating physical injury and social devastation. These women lose their families and dignity,” said Dr. Stephen Foster. “Without the flights that MAF provide, the hundreds of women we serve in remote areas would have no hope for healing. MAF is the critical backbone of our logistics, providing specialized medical supplies and turning a dangerous, three-day journey through the bush into a one-hour flight of hope.”

While the need is vast, with an estimated 20,000 women in Angola awaiting fistula repair, Dr. Foster’s partnership with MAF focuses on the power of one. The power that one woman’s successful surgery can have on an entire community, when they return home as living witnesses, breaking down deep-seated cultural skepticism and encouraging others to come out of the shadows. For Minga, the journey toward restoration began when she heard of another woman who had been cured at Dr. Foster’s medical centre. And, after years of isolation, Minga finally received surgery.

“For the women we serve, restoration transcends physical healing; it is a reclamation of their worth in a society that has often told them they have none,” said Robin Grimstead, Partnership Manager for MAF Canada. For many, the transformation begins the moment they experience compassionate care they’ve been denied. When we welcome a woman like Minga into our aircraft, we are beginning the process of restoring her dignity, identity, and place in her family.”

Bridging the Gap: By the Numbers

The Reality:

In many parts of rural Angola, many girls often become pregnant before their bodies are fully developed to deliver a child safely.
The stakes are tragically high; in a country rebuilding its healthcare infrastructure, nearly ten per cent of births in underserved areas end in the loss of both mother and child.
Without access to a $300 C-section, a cost-prohibitive procedure for many families, prolonged and obstructed labour can lead to fistula or death.
Beyond physical pain, a fistula leads to social death. These women are frequently abandoned by their husbands, rejected by their families and cast out of their communities.

Barriers to Care:

The procedure is often misunderstood, and women who receive one are often viewed as failures, sending them into deep shame.
With 95 spoken languages and 27 years of civil war, Angola’s infrastructure and healthcare system have been severely fragmented.
Mistrust of Western medicine, along with traditional beliefs and a lack of awareness, even among urban doctors, means women suffer in silence.

The Impact of Access:

MAF turns a dangerous three-day journey into a one-hour flight, allowing more women to be treated by Dr. Foster and his team.

Around 70 per cent of women are cured after one or two surgeries.
Two-thirds can have children again.

MAF has remained a consistent presence in Angola for decades, maintaining a hopeful presence even at the height of the country’s instability. This reality makes it possible for programs, like Dr. Foster’s, to grow, signalling a beacon of hope for these remote communities.

How Canadians Can Help

MAF Canada is inviting all Canadians to join the "Lift Her Up" movement this May. A gift to the campaign provides the fuel and flight necessary to bring these women home healthy and restored. For more information or to support this life-saving campaign, visit www.maf.ca/lift.

Media Opportunities and Assets

Interviews with Dr. Stephen Foster and Robin Grimstead are available.

High-resolution photos and video b-roll are also available upon request. Contact Laura Carroll (laura@grafmartin.com) for more information.

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About Mission Aviation Fellowship Canada (MAF)

Mission Aviation Fellowship is a Christian ministry that operates over 120 aircraft in 29 countries worldwide. MAF transports Christian workers, patients, relief workers, community supplies, and medical aid to the world’s most cut-off communities and places of deepest human need. Operating for over 80 years, Mission Aviation Fellowship has developed into a worldwide team of specialists; over 450 missionary staff families, including roughly 50 Canadians and their families, serve in both technical and support roles. Our mission is to serve together to bring help, hope, and healing through aviation; our vision is to see isolated people changed by the love of Christ. To learn more, visit maf.ca.

About Dr. Stephen Foster

Dr. Stephen Foster is a world-renowned Canadian missionary surgeon and a Clinical Associate Professor at McMaster University. For over 40 years, he has dedicated his life to serving the people of Angola, providing life-restoring surgical care in some of the world’s most challenging and isolated environments.

As the Medical Director of the Evangelical Medical Centre of Lubango (CEML), Dr. Foster has become a global leader in the treatment of obstetric fistula. He is a passionate advocate for maternal health and has trained a generation of local medical professionals, ensuring that surgical excellence and compassionate care remain sustainable in the region.

In recognition of his extraordinary humanitarian work and his lifelong commitment to global health, Dr. Foster received the Teasdale-Corti Humanitarian Award from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

About Robin Grimstead

Robin Grimstead serves as Partnership Manager for Alberta with MAF Canada. With more than 30 years of experience building meaningful relationships and partnerships, along with a background in communications, events, and fundraising, she has dedicated her career to connecting people with causes that create lasting impact. She has a long-standing passion for improving women’s health and access to care in underserved regions around the world. Through her work on initiatives like Lift Her Up – Watch Her Soar, she engages supporters in bringing essential healthcare to women in remote, cut-off communities, helping advance MAF’s mission of delivering care, dignity, and hope through aviation.

Attachments

Paola Theaker
Graf-Martin Communications
519-342-3703
paola@grafmartin.com

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