Unwanted pregnancies rising - SAFAIDS PETITION;
MATSAPHA – The proportion of unintended pregnancies that end in abortion has increased in countries that have many legal restrictions in place, including Eswatini.
According to a current Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAFAIDS) report on safety on abortion, abortion is riskier in Sub-Saharan Africa than in any other world regions. As of 2010–2014, 77 per cent of abortions in the region were unsafe, compared to the global average of 45 per cent. SAFAIDS Country Representative Mandisa Machakata stated that as of 2015 to 2019, an estimated 33 abortions occurred each year per 1 000 women aged 15-49, with little variation across the four subregions of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Doubled
Machakata said the annual number of abortions nearly doubled between 1995–1999 and 2015–2019, from 4.3 million to 8.0 million.
The director mentioned that unsafe abortion contributed between eight per cent to 20 per cent in maternal mortality. She stated that if restrictions were not lifted, it would be difficult for many countries to reach the SDG target three on reducing maternal mortality.
According to Machakata, as of 2019, an estimated E4.1 billion (US$228 million) was spent in Sub-Saharan Africa each year on treatment for complications from unsafe abortion. Machakata said the cost of providing safe abortion was nearly a 10th of providing post abortion care (PAC), valued at an estimated E359 million, about US$20 million. Machakata added that where abortion was legal, ensuring the availability and affordability of safe services was not only critical to women’s health and well-being, but was also cost-effective. She stated that abortion was sought and needed even in settings where it was restricted, including in countries where it was prohibited altogether or was allowed only to save the woman’s life or to preserve her physical or mental health.
The country representative said as a result, abortion rates were similar in countries where abortion was restricted and those where the procedure was broadly legal. This included countries where it is available on request or on socioeconomic grounds.
Machakata said many countries had restrictive policies in place, which may make it difficult to access safe abortion services, even when it was legal.
“Unrealistic conditions for accessing safe abortion in many instances make it virtually impossible and impractical to access safe abortions and inconsistencies in provisions may make it difficult for ordinary people to understand what is legally possible,” the director said.
For instance, she said in the case of pregnancies resulting from rape, several countries required onerous burdens of proof, such as submitting an affidavit to a magistrate. She said unintended pregnancy rates were highest in countries that restricted
Remove restrictions including legal restrictions towards accessing safe and legal abortion services for women. Close the gap on unmet need for family planning by providing comprehensive sexuality education, and making available appropriate contraceptive commodities.
Ensure that all service providers are trained not to moralise issues of SRH and stigmatise young people seeking SRH services.
Ensure the respect for the rights of women to make informed choices regarding their bodies and lives.
abortion access and lowest in countries where abortion was broadly legal. Moreover, she said in countries that restricted abortion, the percentage of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion had increased during the past 30 years, from 36 per cent in 1990–1994 to 50 per cent in 2015-2019. SAFAIDS further petitioned the legislators, government and religious institutions to remove restrictions, including those which are legal by nature, legal towards accessing safe and legal abortion services for women. The organisation also wants the gap on unmet need for family planning closed by providing comprehensive sexuality education and making available appropriate contraceptive commodities. They want to ensure that all service providers were trained not to moralise issues of Sexual and Reproductive Health Research (SRH) and stigmatise young people seeking SRH services.
Also, they want respect for the rights of women to make informed choices regarding their bodies and lives.
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