Dr. Itengré Ouédraogo joined Fistula Foundation as a medical advisor in May 2024. Itengré is a French-speaking Burkinabe general surgeon trained in Cuba who holds a degree in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. He currently works with Association Renaissance (ARENA), a Fistula Foundation Partner in Burkina Faso, where he leads fistula treatment and prevention programs.
Itengré has extensive experience in maternal healthcare and fistula surgery. He began his career at the teaching hospital Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, and later joined a United Nations Volunteers program, serving under the United Nations Population Fund in Niger. His interest in fistula surgery was sparked in 2008 after meeting Dr. Wall Lewis and Dr. Steven Arrowsmith from the Worldwide Fistula Fund. Trained by Dr. Steven Arrowsmith and Dr. Andrew Browning, he served as the medical director of the Danja Fistula Center in Niger for six years, performing numerous fistula repairs and training other doctors. Since 2018, through his nonprofit organization ARENA, he has established a medical center in Burkina Faso that treats more than 200 women annually, and trains doctors and midwives in fistula prevention and surgery.
Itengré has also contributed his expertise to Mercy Ships, performing fistula repairs in Congo, Madagascar, and Guinea. He has served as a consultant for Fistula Foundation in Chad and Madagascar, and has been a speaker in clinical webinars to improve care for fistula patients. He is certified by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) as a FIGO Trainer, is an associate member of the FIGO Committee on Obstetric Fistula, and is the current executive secretary of the International Society of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons.
As a medical advisor for Fistula Foundation, Itengré supports partner site visits for monitoring and evaluation in Madagascar and Burkina Faso. He provides clinical guidance and training, assessing surgical sites to ensure high-quality care for fistula patients.