Unsafe abortion leading cause of maternal deaths

By Michael Oriedo

Unsafe abortion remains one of the most neglected health problems and among the leading causes of maternal deaths in Kenya.

Africa Alliance for Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights (IPAS) said that the health problem has been ignored despite the practice being the easiest cause of maternal deaths to prevent.

"Safe, effective technologies for contraception, pregnancy termination and post abortion care are underutilised. Therefore, many womencontinue to put their lives at risk as they procure unsafe abortion,’’ said IPAS, a global women’s reproductive rights organisation.

In Kenya, the institution estimates that unsafe abortion contributes to about 30 percent of maternal deaths.

IPAS isolates restrictive laws as one of the things that have helped to make abortion unsafe and dangerous for women seeking to terminate their pregnancies in the country.

The organisation observes that Kenya, as many other countries in Africa still use laws put in place during the past centuries by colonialists.

"These restrictive laws have not stopped the practice in our country but driven it underground making abortion unsafe and dangerous," said Charles Njonjo, during a recent forum by IPAS on maternal death and abortion.

The former Attorney General observed that most developed countries have liberalised their abortion and allowed access to safe services thus reduced deaths and ill-health associated with unsafe abortion.

"We should not sacrifice the lives of our women on the altar of our spiritual comfort as we continue to ignore the situation. Let us discuss abortion and come up with ways to make it safer for women," he urged.

Dr Eunice Brookman-Amissah, IPAS Vice-president for Africa said the root causes of abortion are the same as those underlying the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

"These are lack of access to comprehensive reproductive health information and services and women’s lack of decision-making power related to sex and reproduction. Unsafe abortion should be viewed a violation of women’s rights," she said.

The World Health organisation estimates that about 5.5 million unsafe abortions take place in Africa every year out of the 20 million.