Reproductive Health in East Africa: Guttmacher Institute Joins Advocates at Annual Regional Convening to Discuss How to Prevent Unsafe Abortion

MAY 11, 2021

Guttmacher Institute

Despite the liberalization of abortion laws in many Sub-Saharan African
countries in recent years and the subsequent expansion of services such as
postabortion care, unsafe abortion is still common in the region and exacts a
heavy toll on individuals, families and health systems. Sub-Saharan Africa has
the highest estimated proportion of abortions that are unsafe in the world (77%
as of 2010–2014, compared with the global average of 44%), as documented in the
2020 report From Unsafe to Safe Abortion in Sub-Saharan Africa: Slow but Steady
Progress.

In line with one of its objectives to develop
the capacity of advocates and policymakers to access and utilize evidence to
ensure that family planning and reproductive health are prioritized in national
policies and budgeting processes, the Guttmacher Institute accepted an
invitation from the East African Reproductive Health Network (EARHN) to lead a
session at its 11th annual coordination meeting.

Continued: https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2021/reproductive-health-east-africa-guttmacher-institute-joins-advocates-annual

DRC – September 27, 2018 News Release

Complications from Unsafe Abortion Common in Kinshasa
New evidence demonstrates need to improve access to safe abortion and postabortion care

September 27, 2018
News Release

A new study using data from 2016 found that the majority of women in Kinshasa who seek postabortion care following an unsafe abortion experience severe or moderate complications. In 2016, 37,900 women obtained treatment for complications from abortion in Kinshasa, the capital and largest urban area of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Kinshasa and the New York-based Guttmacher Institute, documents for the first time the immediate health consequences of complications resulting from unsafe abortion among women admitted to health facilities in Kinshasa, as well as the type of treatment these patients received. Researchers found that women receiving postabortion care were most commonly treated using outdated methods not recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Continued: https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2018/complications-unsafe-abortion-common-kinshasa

Congo: Clandestine Abortion Is Common in Kinshasa, and Procedures Are Often Unsafe

Clandestine Abortion Is Common in Kinshasa, and Procedures Are Often Unsafe

November 7, 2017
News Release

Likely a Major Contributor to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s High Number of Maternal Deaths

An estimated 146,700 abortions were performed in 2016 in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Kinshasa and the Guttmacher Institute. This translates to an abortion rate of 56 per 1,000 women of reproductive age, suggesting that abortion is very common in Kinshasa.

Continued at source: https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2017/clandestine-abortion-common-kinshasa-and-procedures-are-often-unsafe

First National Study on the Incidence of Abortion and Unintended Pregnancy in Nepal Released

First National Study on the Incidence of Abortion and Unintended Pregnancy in Nepal Released

Despite Abortion Legalization and Efforts to Expand Access, Many Women Continue to Have Clandestine Procedures
Feb 10, 2017

In the first-ever national study of the incidence of abortion and unintended pregnancy in Nepal, researchers found that, despite abortion being legally available, many Nepalese women have potentially unsafe abortions performed by unapproved or untrained providers. The study, “Abortion Incidence and Unintended Pregnancy in Nepal,” conducted jointly by Nepal’s Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA) and the U.S.-based Guttmacher Institute, found that approximately 323,000 induced abortions occurred in Nepal in 2014, giving it an abortion rate of 42 per 1,000 women of reproductive age (15–49). However, out of all induced abortions, only 42% were provided legally at government-approved facilities.

Continued at source: Guttmacher Institute: http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=ca1e42e28a45edcdc4e51bc32&id=713d9681b2&e=2c39881aa9