Building Nigeria’s National Response To Maternal Mortality From Unsafe Abortion

November 25, 2025
CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Nigeria is grappling with a maternal health crisis that has persisted for decades. Every year, thousands of women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that among these, unsafe abortion remains one of the most significant contributors to maternal mortality. The tragedy is not only in the numbers but in the silence that surrounds them.

For years, unsafe abortion was treated as a taboo subject—rarely discussed in public forums, often stigmatised, and frequently ignored in policymaking. Yet, behind closed doors, families mourned daughters, sisters, and mothers lost to complications that could have been avoided with access to safe reproductive healthcare.

Continued: https://pmexpressng.com/building-nigerias-national-response-to-maternal-mortality-from-unsafe-abortion/

26.11.2025

Commentary

Leadership Initiative for Youth Empowerment

Ethiopia’s Fight Against Anti-Abortion Propaganda

How Ethiopians are resisting U.S.-backed disinformation on abortions.

By Maya Misikir, a reporter and editor based in Ethiopia.
November 13, 2025

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia—It’s the faces of the women and girls receiving treatment for botched abortions that still haunt nurse Hanna, 47 years into her nursing career.

“They had a look in their eyes. It was a plea to be saved from their misery,” she said in Amharic, during an interview last month.

Continued: https://archive.is/RQ7rE
(https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/13/ethiopia-abortion-fight-propaganda-america-trump-pro-life/)

How Nigerian women are reacting to suspended abortion bill

Many argued that the development is a misplaced priority.

by Oluwakemi Adelagun
November 11, 2025

The recent suspension of a controversial abortion bill has sparked a wave of reactions from Nigerian women on social media, many of whom described the proposed legislation as a misplaced priority.

Using the hashtag – SayNoToAbortionBill, some urge the lawmakers to re-evaluate their legislative priorities and, instead of focusing on restricting abortion, should concentrate on enacting and enforcing stiffer penalties for perpetrators of rape and defilement and other matters that concern the citizens’ welfare.

Continued: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/834524-how-nigerian-women-are-reacting-to-suspended-abortion-bill.html

Obstetrician calls for urgent action to curb maternal mortality in Nigeria

by : Abigail Ikhaghu
Date: 6 November 2025

A Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, Lagos, Dr. Odofin James Taiye, has called for concerted efforts to tackle maternal deaths across Nigeria, warning that hundreds of women still lose their lives daily to preventable causes linked to pregnancy and childbirth.

Speaking at the launch of the Dr. Ufadime Seyi-Akinnubi Foundation in Lagos, Odofin said the time has come for Nigeria to transform compassion into concrete action by building safer pathways for mothers through awareness, education, improved healthcare systems, and community support.

Continued: https://guardian.ng/features/health/obstetrician-calls-for-urgent-action-to-curb-maternal-mortality-in-nigeria/

06.11.2025

News

Ame Okwudi

Dr. Odofin James Taiye

Dr. Ufadime Seyi-Akinnubi Foundation

Nigeria’s Proposed Abortion Law: A Step Backward in a Public Health Crisis

By Shalom Tewobola
Nov 2, 2025

In a country where an estimated 1.25 million unsafe abortions occur annually, Nigeria’s Senate is considering legislation that would make a dire situation catastrophic. The Criminal Code Amendment Bill 2025, which recently came before the Senate for concurrence, proposes a ten-year jail term for anyone supplying drugs or instruments to procure abortions. This represents more than a threefold increase from the current three-year penalty. But as confusion erupted among lawmakers over the bill’s vague language during Tuesday’s plenary session, a more fundamental question emerged: are we criminalizing healthcare itself?

Senate President Godswill Akpabio suspended consideration of the bill and referred it to the Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters after senators couldn’t agree on what constitutes an “unlawful abortion.” When lawmakers themselves cannot determine the boundary between criminal acts and medical care, how can doctors be expected to navigate these waters while a patient hemorrhages before them?

Continued: https://culturecustodian.com/nigerias-proposed-abortion-law-a-step-backward-in-a-public-health-crisis/

Behind the curtains: Inside Nigeria’s shadow network of abortion care

October 26, 2025
BY AYOMIDE LADIPO

The World Health Organisation recognises abortion as an essential health service to meet the global sustainable development goals. However, in 74 countries across the world, including Nigeria, abortion is illegal, with varying levels of punishment, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. Abortion is completely prohibited in 24 countries, while in 50 others, termination of pregnancy is only permitted when the woman’s health is at risk.

In Nigeria, abortion is illegal and carries a jail sentence of up to 14 years, unless done to save the life of the pregnant woman, which means post-abortion care is legal. In the Constitution, the Criminal Code Sections 228-230 and Penal Code Sections 232 & 233 criminalise abortion for all parties involved, including the medical personnel, with a jail time of up to 14 years, while Section 297 of the Criminal Code allows for abortion to be done to preserve the mother’s life.

Continued: https://www.thecable.ng/behind-the-curtains-inside-nigerias-shadow-network-of-abortion-care/

Nigeria – Unsafe Pregnancies: NGO seeks protective law for rape, incest victims, women

By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
Oct 23, 2025

A Non-Governmental Organization, Gender Development Initiative (GenDi), has renewed its commitment to reducing maternal mortality in Ogun State, through policy reforms, strengthened health systems and improved access to quality and affordable reproductive health services for women and girls across the state.

The GenDi Consultant, Tayo Akinpelu, who made the call at a press briefing on policy reformation and maternal mortality reduction, in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, appealed to the Ogun State House of Assembly to enact a law that would allow safe and legal termination of pregnancy in cases of rape, incest, and life-threatening medical conditions.

Continued: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/10/unsafe-pregnancies-ngo-seeks-protective-law-for-rape-incest-victims-women/

23.10.2025

News

Gender Development Initiative

GenDi

maternal mortality

Prof. Olubunmi Ashimolowo

Safe Termination of Pregnancy guideline

Liberia: As Senate Considers Bill to Legalize Abortion, Experts Say Growing Access to Abortion Pills Is Saving Lives

By Joyclyn Wea
October 20, 2025

D. was 18 and had just entered the 12th grade in 2017 when she discovered she was pregnant. Like all teenage students, ambitious for a successful future – in her case as a banker – she feared having a baby would end her dreams. She also feared the shame it would bring to her mother, who had worked hard selling potato greens in a local market to pay for her daughter’s education so she could have a better life.

D.’s sister’s boyfriend offered a solution. He told her there were now pills available that could end the pregnancy safely.

Continued: https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-as-senate-considers-bill-to-legalize-abortion-experts-say-growing-access-to-abortion-pills-is-saving-lives/

NIGERIA: MAMII: Maternal, Neonatal Mortality Rates Unacceptably High – Kogi Govt

Oct 13, 2025

Kogi State Commissioner for Health, has decried maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the state, describing it has “unacceptably high”.

Dr. Abdulazeez made this known while declaring the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) 5-Day Implementation Design Workshop open in Lokoja on Monday.

Continued: https://kogireports.com/mamii-maternal-neonatal-mortality-rates-unacceptably-high-kogi-govt/

13.10.2025

News

Ahmed Usman Ododo

Dr Emmanuel Bola Jonah

Dr. Adams Adeiza Abdulazeez

Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative

AWAC Uganda marks Safe Motherhood Day with call for community-led access to safe abortion

NELSON MANDELA | PML Daily
October 8, 2025

KAMPALA — The Alliance of Women Advocating for Change (AWAC Uganda), a sex work-led organization, has commemorated Safe Motherhood International Day with a passionate call for bodily autonomy, dignity, and community-led access to safe abortion for marginalized women across Uganda.

The commemoration, which is normally held on September 28, was this year marked on October 7 to accommodate AWAC’s grassroots network spread across various districts. The celebrations began in Kasese, continued to Chotera, and concluded at AWAC’s secretariat in Kampala.

Continued: https://pmldaily.com/features/health/2025/10/awac-uganda-marks-safe-motherhood-day-with-call-for-community-led-access-to-safe-abortion.html