Unsafe abortions: Silent threat fueling maternal death crisis

By Ayoki Onyango
Feb 17, 2025

One of the major problems associated with reproductive health is unsafe abortions. This issue has been a dominant topic in reproductive and sexual rights workshops across Africa and globally, with the latest workshop on the subject taking place in Maputo, Mozambique.

It was also a central topic at a seminar in Kenya. Unsafe abortion has been identified as a leading cause of death for many young and middle-aged women in Kenya and other African countries. Medical experts argue that urgent measures must be put in place to prevent unnecessary deaths, particularly among single women. Discussions at these workshops have also focused on economic empowerment for women and the role of the media in highlighting reproductive health and sexual rights issues.

Continued: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/health-science/article/2001511912/unsafe-abortions-silent-threat-fueling-maternal-death-crisis

17.02.2025

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manual vacuum aspiration

Anti-AIDS program in peril after US finds nurses in Mozambique provided abortions

By Simon Lewis and Patricia Zengerle
January 16, 2025

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The flagship U.S. aid program on HIV/AIDS is in jeopardy, a senior Republican warned on Thursday, after U.S. officials said four nurses in Mozambique performed abortions that are banned under the multibillion-dollar program that has saved millions of lives globally.

Service providers that get funding through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) are barred from providing abortion services under rules against U.S. foreign assistance being used for abortion-related activities, but the program has still faced criticism from anti-abortion Republicans.

Continued: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/anti-aids-program-peril-after-us-finds-nurses-mozambique-provided-abortions-2025-01-16/

16.01.2025

anti-choice stupidity

President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

Ipas celebrates 21st anniversary of Maputo Protocol with regional conference in Mozambique

Event highlights the importance of collective action to fulfill the protocol’s promise of reproductive rights that include abortion access

August 9, 2024

Marking the 21st anniversary of the landmark Maputo Protocol, which guarantees extensive rights to African women and girls, Ipas hosted a two-day regional conference in Mozambique devoted to exploring the challenges and successes of implementing this fundamental treaty for gender equity.

“We were thrilled to host this conference in honor of the Maputo Protocol, a groundbreaking legal milestone that has been crucial in advancing women’s rights across Africa, including the essential right to safe and legal abortion,” says Jorge Matine, Country Director of Ipas Mozambique. “The passionate engagement by attendees in advancing and safeguarding abortion access across Southern Africa was truly inspiring. It’s a testament to the progress we’ve made and a powerful reminder that we must accelerate our efforts to ensure no woman or girl is left behind.”

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/ipas-celebrates-21st-anniversary-of-maputo-protocol-with-regional-conference-in-mozambique/

Stories of safe abortion care in Mozambique

29 JAN 2024
Médecins Sans Frontières

In every country, women from all walks of life may seek out an abortion at some time of their lives due to many reasons. Where safe abortion care is too difficult to access, people with an unwanted pregnancy often have no choice but to resort to unsafe abortion, one of the leading causes of maternal mortality globally.

To reduce the high number of women dying from unsafe abortion, Mozambique in 2014 legalised abortion up to 12 weeks and beyond in cases of rape, incest, and severe foetal anomalies such as heart defects. This essential care is provided free of charge. But even though abortion is free and legal, other barriers including stigma and misinformation can still make it difficult to access safe care.

Continued: https://msf.org.au/article/stories-patients-staff/stories-safe-abortion-care-mozambique

Breaking barriers to safe abortion care in Mozambique

Médecins Sans Frontières
23 January 2024

In Beira, a city on Mozambique’s central coast, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is connecting hard-to-reach communities with safe abortion care and other sexual and reproductive health services.

Mozambique has one of Africa’s most liberal abortion laws, allowing abortion on request during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and up to 24 weeks in limited circumstances, including fetal abnormality.

Though abortion has been legal since 2014, many people still face obstacles to accessing this care, including stigma, misinformation, and corruption, such as charging for services that should be free.

Continued: https://www.msf.org/breaking-barriers-safe-abortion-care-mozambique

23.01.2024

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abortion stigma

Médecins Sans Frontières

Mozambique: 20 Years After Maputo, It’s a Long Road Ahead to Gender Equality

Two decades on from a landmark treaty advancing the rights of African women, gender equality remains alive on paper, elusive in practice.

12 JULY 2023
By Madalitso Kateta

Magret Kawala of Mponela in Dowa district, central Malawi had always experienced the joys of motherhood and married life. But when she became pregnant while nursing a nine-month-old child Kawala's fortunes changed.

When it was confirmed that she was three months pregnant, her instinct told her she had to go for an abortion. She discussed the issue with her husband, but since surgical abortion in Malawi is illegal and only permissible when a pregnancy pauses a threat to a woman, the couple opted for a backstreet abortion.

Continued: https://allafrica.com/stories/202307130009.html

Looking back on the successes of the International Safe Abortion Day 2021

10 December 2021
FIGO Advocating for Safe Abortion Project

For International Safe Abortion Day (ISAD), marked on 28 September, the 10 national member societies FIGO supports through its Advocating for Safe Abortion Project developed educational activities and awareness-raising campaigns in their countries and communities.

“International Safe Abortion Day is about making what is often ignored – the preventable pandemic of unsafe abortions - visible. As a committed health care community we come together to demonstrate what solutions must be implemented. Together with our partners, we raise our voices to dismantle abortion-related stigma which is the enemy of women/girls’ right to claim access to safe abortion – time-sensitive essential health care. This year from Latin America to Africa we are proud to share the efforts of our OBGYN member societies, and all that they are doing to stand up for women/girls’ health care and human rights.”
– Jessica Morris, Senior Project Manager, Advocating for Safe Abortion Project, FIGO

Continued: https://www.figo.org/news/looking-back-successes-international-safe-abortion-day-2021

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

Safe Abortion Advocacy across the air waves in Mozambique

8 January 2021
Eunice Themba, Project Manager, AMOG

Standing in solidarity with women and girls to mark the 2020 global campaign of 16 days of activism to end gender based violence (GBV), the Mozambican Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (AMOG), together with its partner Mozambique Radio, launched an information campaign to spread awareness of Mozambique’s abortion law.

Radio listeners in Sofala, Maputo, Tete, Nampula and Xai Xai tuned in to Mozambique radio and participated in a series of radio call-in shows to ask questions and provide thoughts on how awareness and understanding of Mozambique’s abortion law could be strengthened.

Continued: https://www.figo.org/news/safe-abortion-advocacy-across-air-waves-mozambique

08.01.2021