Using music as a tool to fight against maternal and child mortality in Mozambique

10 September 2021
FIGO
Eunice Themba, AMOG

The Associação Moçambicana de Obstetras e Ginecologistas (AMOG) recently worked with musicians in Mozambique to release a song on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with a focus on access to safe abortion. As part of an awareness-raising campaign, AMOG organised an event for adolescents at Josina Machel Secondary School with musicians Yolanda Kakana from Banda Kakana, and Sistah Áfrika.

Using music to raise awareness of the right to safe abortion
Art, in general, and music, in particular, can – and should – contribute to the fight against maternal and child mortality. Yolanda Kakana and Sistah Áfrika wrote the song “Dura Realidade” (Hard Reality), which tells the story of a girl who intends to end an unwanted pregnancy, to raise awareness of this issue in Mozambique.

Continued: https://www.figo.org/news/using-music-tool-fight-against-maternal-and-child-mortality-mozambique


OBGYNs in Mozambique call to strengthen gender equality and access to safe abortion

FIGO
30 April 2021
Eunice Themba, Project Manager, AMOG

In a year that saw access to reproductive health services diminish due to
COVID-19 and associated restrictions, International Women’s Day 2021 provided a
welcome opportunity to reflect on, learn about and advocate for important
women’s health topics, including access to safe abortion. Unsafe abortion
remains a huge cause of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity.

The World Health Organization estimates that around 13% of maternal deaths are
attributable to unsafe abortion, and that around 3 in every 4 abortions in
Africa and Latin America are unsafe. According to the 2011 Demographic Health
Survey, unsafe abortion was a leading cause of preventable maternal death in
Mozambique, one of ten countries in FIGO’s Advocating Safe Abortion Project. In
order to reverse this dramatic situation that affects girls and women, the new
Penal Code of 2014 was approved (law Nr 35/2014 of December 31st), that was
revised in 2019 (Law Nr 24/2019 of December 24th), which included, in Article
168, the modalities that make abortion non-punishable.

Continued: https://www.figo.org/news/obgyns-mozambique-call-strengthen-gender-equality-and-access-safe-abortion


Mozambique – Training Providers on Law and Clinical Norms

Training Providers on Law and Clinical Norms

02.03.2020
FIGO

Mozambique liberalised its abortion law in 2014, granting legal abortion on request in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and longer term limits in cases of rape, incest and foetal anomaly. FIGO National Member Society, The Associação Moçambicana de Obstetras e Ginecologistas (AMOG), was proud to support this change in law.

Clinical norms to guide treatment were also made available, and benefitted from AMOG’s technical expertise while being developed. However, barriers that prevent women accessing abortion care remain; although we have the law in place, it is often not being implemented.

Continued: https://www.figo.org/news/training-providers-law-and-clinical-norms-0016330