Nigeria: Unsafe abortion: Taming a leading, silent killer

Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan
March 18, 2024

There have been complaints about the rate at which women and girls die as a result of unsafe abortions. To tame this silent killer, experts and stakeholders in the Sexual Reproductive Health sector converged on Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to ruminate on how to do more for women and girls. YINKA ADENIRAN looks at the issue and efforts to tame the menace of unsafe abortion among women and girls.

For months, Sola Oduwole (pseudonym) could not forgive herself. She felt guilty as she felt she had a role to play in what had befallen her family. She just lost a sister (Olawunmi) who underwent surgery to cut off one of her breasts after she was diagnosed of breast cancer. Painfully, she died weeks after the surgery.

Continued: https://thenationonlineng.net/unsafe-abortion-taming-a-leading-silent-killer/

Nigeria – Interview: 2024 health budget of N1trn will barely scratch the surface, says expert

Dec 16, 2023
In 2017, Nigeria’s maternal mortality hit 917 per 100,000 births. Three years later, the figures surged by nearly 14 percent to 1,047 deaths, ranking among the world’s highest. With each spike, it is a bleak canvas of despair for countless Nigerian women seeking to bring life into the world.

With the conclusion of the 16 days of activism, Lucky Palmer, country director of Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation, spoke with TheCable’s CLAIRE MOM to shed light on the factors that contributed to the country’s high maternal mortality rate and offered practical steps that can be taken to ensure every woman’s right to safe childbirth.

Continued: https://www.thecable.ng/interview-2024-health-budget-of-n1tn-will-barely-scratch-surface-says-expert

16.12.2023

Interviews/Podcasts

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation

Nigeria – ‘Should women continue to die?’ – CSO asks n’assembly to review restrictive abortion laws

Sept 28, 2023
by Claire Mom

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation has asked lawmakers to review restrictive abortion laws in the country that continue to endanger the lives of young girls and women.

In a statement released on Thursday to mark the “International Safe Abortion Day”, Ipas noted that unsafe abortions contribute between 13% and 30% to maternal mortality in Nigeria.

Continued: https://www.thecable.ng/should-women-continue-to-die-cso-asks-nassembly-to-review-restrictive-abortion-laws

30.09.2023

News

CEDAW

International Safe Abortion Day

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation

Lucky Palmer

Maputo Protocol

Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa

Nigeria – How preventing unwanted pregnancies can reduce abortion, deaths — Experts

by Sade Oguntola
August 31, 2023

INDUCED abortion is illegal in Nigeria, except when performed to save a woman’s life. Both the penal code, which is generally applied in the country’s northern states, and the criminal code, which generally applies in the southern states, allow this exception and the regions specify similar criminal penalties for noncompliance.

Yet, pregnancy terminations are quite common and because they are often performed clandestinely or by unskilled providers, they are sometimes unsafe. A recent survey indicated that unintended pregnancy and abortion are experienced by women worldwide.

Continued: https://tribuneonlineng.com/how-preventing-unwanted-pregnancies-can-reduce-abortion-deaths-experts/

Government of Canada commits to increasing sexual and reproductive rights including access to abortion services

IPAS
July 21, 2023

Ipas is pleased to announce a partnership with the government of Canada to increase access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care for women and girls in Bolivia, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Canadian government has pledged $10 million CAD for programmatic work in Bolivia, Indonesia and Nigeria to increase the sexual and reproductive autonomy of women and girls by expanding their access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and enhancing their ability to make decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/government-of-canada-commits-to-increasing-sexual-and-reproductive-rights-including-access-to-abortion-services/

Nigeria – Ipas, lawyers organise mock court proceedings on abortion laws

November 14, 2022
Ene Oshaba

Ipas, an International nongovernmental organisation working to reduce abortion-related death and injuries has organised a ‘mock’ court proceedings to test the effectiveness of the laws on abortion in the country.

The proceedings aims at increasing women’s ability to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights, especially as hundreds of Nigerian women die every day of complications arising from unsafe abortions across the nation.

Continued: https://www.blueprint.ng/ipas-lawyers-organise-mock-court-proceedings-on-abortion-laws/

14.11.2022

Unsafe abortions contribute 13% to causes of maternal mortality in Nigeria

BY THE EAGLE ONLINE
SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

Thirteen per cent of the causes of Maternal Mortality in Nigeria has been attributed to unsafe abortions.

The Country Director, Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation, Lucky Palmer, noted this in a statement on Wednesday.

Continued: https://theeagleonline.com.ng/unsafe-abortions-contribute-13-to-causes-of-maternal-mortality-in-nigeria/

29.09.2022

Featured

News

CEDAW

International Safe Abortion Day

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation

Lucky Palmer

Maputo Protocol

maternal mortality

Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa

‘Unsafe abortions contributing to high maternal mortality rate in Nigeria’

By The Nation
On Aug 6, 2022

A non-profit organisation, Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation has identified unsafe abortions as one of the factors contributing high maternal mortality rate in Nigeria.

The organisation said Nigeria is confronted with high incidences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), which sometimes results in unwanted pregnancies, leading to unsafe abortions.

Continued: https://thenationonlineng.net/unsafe-abortions-contributing-to-high-maternal-mortality-rate-in-nigeria/

Ipas, NCWS Partner To Remove Economic, Health Barriers Against Women

By Olumide Gbenga
ON MAY 24, 2022

The Country Director of Ipas, Mr Lucky Palmer, on Monday promised to partner with the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) Nigeria to remove all forms of barriers affecting women.

Palmer made the promise when the newly elected President of NCWS, Hajiya Lami Lau, led a delegation on a visit to Ipas office in Abuja.

Continued: https://www.withinnigeria.com/broadnews/2022/05/24/ipas-ncws-partner-to-remove-economic-health-barriers-against-women/

24.05.2022

National Council of Women Societies

In Over 20 Years, We Averted Over 642,000 Unsafe Abortions, 150,000 Unintended Pregnancies —IPAS

By Sade Oguntola
On Jul 22, 2021

Beyond building the capacity of health workers, policy and legislation, Ipas Nigeria, an international non-governmental organisation promoting issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights of women, says it averted over 642,000 unsafe abortions and nearly 150,000 unintended pregnancies in its over 20 years of operation in Nigeria.

Deputy Director, Ipas Nigeria, Mr Sam Amade speaking at the 20 years celebration and dissemination meeting with key stakeholders in the SRHR space in Nigeria, with the theme “Ipas Nigeria: Our Journey, Our Future” said the nearly 600,000 women have accessed post-abortion care (PAC) and comprehensive abortion care (CAC) services and over 230,000 women received modern contraceptive services.

Continued: https://tribuneonlineng.com/in-over-20-years-we-averted-over-642000-unsafe-abortions-150000-unintended-pregnancies-ipas/