The agony of women and girls in accessing abortion services in Zimbabwe

July 6, 2026
By Muchaneta Chimuka

Unsafe abortion cases remain rife among youth and adults in Zimbabwe. The challenges are fuelled by exorbitant medical costs, restrictive legal frameworks, an inadequate network of youth-friendly clinics offering sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, and deep-seated negative attitudes among healthcare providers.

Furthermore, infrastructure barriers, systemic policy hurdles, and a widespread lack of knowledge on how or where to seek safe services exacerbate the situation.

Continued: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/the-agony-of-women-and-girls-in-accessing-abortion-services-in-zimbabwe/

Human rights organizations call for better protection of sexual and reproductive rights in Latin America

Helena Tian | UCL Faculty of Laws, GB/CN
January 20, 2025

Human rights organizations in Latin America issued a joint statement on Friday, expressing deep concerns about the systematic non-compliance of several Latin American states with international human rights, sexual rights, and reproductive rights (SRHR) obligations.

SRHR are fundamental rights protected by a range of international and regional human rights treaties and in national laws and constitutions … [but] legal and socioeconomic barriers in Latin America are currently undermining the ability to exercise self-determination and bodily autonomy free from discrimination, coercion and violence. The statement underlined several overriding issues, including the criminalization of abortion, the lack of access to comprehensive and quality sexual and reproductive health services, institutional gynaecological and obstetric violence, the misuse of conscientious objection, and a lack of implementation of decisions from international and regional human rights institutions.

Continued: https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/01/human-rights-organizations-call-for-better-sexual-and-reproductive-rights-in-latin-america/

New mobile phone app helps healthcare workers provide comprehensive abortion care

7 August 2023
World Health Organization

Healthcare workers have the right to access the most up-to-date evidence-based information, to help them provide comprehensive abortion care. In recognition of this, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Special Programme of Research in Human Reproduction (HRP) launched a new “digital decision support tool” or app, available on Apple and Google Play, to support caregivers in the process of decision-making, and using the WHO Abortion care guideline, to provide comprehensive abortion care.

This app takes the individual characteristics of patients and generates patient-specific assessments or recommendations, which can then be given to healthcare providers to consider. The tool guides the healthcare worker through assessing abortion-seekers for possible risks, and also gives them checklists and further context to help them in managing cases. It helps to minimize possible mistakes in abortion provision, and even schedules individualized post-abortion follow-ups and referrals.

Continued; https://www.who.int/news/item/07-08-2023-new-mobile-phone-app-helps-healthcare-workers-provide-comprehensive-abortion-care

07.08.2023