By Brenda Zulu in Accra, Ghana
One in 13 women in the Democratic Republic of Congo dies in pregnancy or childbirth. Every half an hour a woman dies of a pregnancy related case in Congo.
Health problems related to pregnancies and childbirth remain the leading cause of ill health and death for women of childbearing age worldwide. This is even worse in countries which have undergone an emergency or crisis.
Addressing unsafe abortion in emergency situations at the ‘Keeping Our Promise’ conference in Accra, Ghana, “Dr Wilma Doedens, Technical Advisor, Humanitarian Response Branch, United Nations Fund for Population Activities defined emergency as “serious disruption of the functioning of a society, causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using its own resources,”
In an emergency situation however, Dr Doedens said, the risk of sexual violence may increase during social instability and that lack of family planning services may increase risks associated with unwanted pregnancy.
“Malnutrition and epidemics increase risks of pregnancy complications and often the lack of access to emergency obstetric care increases risk of maternal death,”said Dr Doedens.
Testimonies of women survivors of war, also attending the conference clearly outlined the status of post rape and reproductive health care in the Congo.
One woman simply called Cilcily explained “We have had war for many years and nothing has changed. We have nothing now, I have six children. It is hard to feed everyone. We have one meal per day and only my sons go to school since I do not have enough money to take the girls as well. I have heard that women can stop getting pregnant but I don’t know how and no one has told me how. I wish I could stop. I don’t want to be pregnant anymore.”
In an interview, Dr Baubacar Toure, Reproductive Health Advisor, International Rescue Committee, outlined challenges to quality reproductive and post rape health care in Congo.
He said that in Congo, the average age of bearing children was 15 years as many girls were married off at that age.
He explained that lack of medicines, supplies and equipment is a frequent barrier to the hospitals ability to provide services to pregnant women. Many hospitals cannot provide the medication and supplies necessary to provide the very basic obstetric services, such as antibiotics, syringes and long gloves needed for certain procedures.
Similarly, the ability of the Congolese health system to offer family planning services and prevent infections is limited by the lack of essential supplies at health and hospitals. Contraceptives are for instance offered only in a limited number of hospitals.
Due to the war, there is lack of staff in the health centres and hospitals to perform emergency obstetric care as many of the health staff fled for their lives. It is estimated that Congo lacks approximately 42 000 health professionals. According to the DRCs national protocol, a general referral hospital with 100 beds serving a population of 100 000 should have at least three doctors, anaesthetist and 16 nurses.
Some hospitals are staffed with as little as one doctor and fewer than five nurses. Health workers are often not paid for months and many rural health workers migrate to cities or go to work for international agencies to seek employment with a regular salary.
Another barrier to proper reproductive health care is lack of female health staff i rural areas. Traditionally, Congolese women do not discuss reproductive health issues with men, even less when it comes to post rape health care. The scarcity of female rape health care medical staff throughout Congo is therefore problematic.
Sexual assault affects the reproductive health of survivors and their families. Unwanted pregnancies, damage to reproductive organs, sexual transmittable diseases and HIV are possible consequences of rape and sexual assaults. Without treatment and support, such consequences might affect the entire families.
Another female participant at the ‘keeping our promise’ conference attested to this. She said, “One day, at the age of 19, I was in bed asleep when I heard guns. The rebels had entered the village. I was so afraid, and I run with no belongings only the cloths I was wearing. I had to sleep in the bush for three days and on the fourth day I was kidnapped by an armed soldier who threatened me with death. He took me far away to the bushes and he raped me. After some weeks I found I was pregnant. I felt so ashamed but I could not keep the baby. I went and had an abortion. It was so painful and I still think about it everyday.”
Health facilities are often the first point of contact for rape survivors The physical injuries from sexual assault are one of the main reason survivors seek help.
In addition to the lack of staff, little commitment to continuing professional development and in service training is evident in the public sector, unless specifically funded by an external donor. Lack of training on newer, safer procedures was also a major challenge.
As health care professional are not consistently trained in the clinical care of survivors of sexual assault, when survivors report to health centers they are often not offered quality life saving care because it is simply unavailable.
This is complicated by ineffective referral systems which are critical to the accessibility of proper health services. Major obstacles to proper referrals are access to ambulances and means of communicating with a hospital that may have one. Roads are also often impassable to four wheel vehicles during the rainy season.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Prof Sai celebrated
BY Rosemary Ardayfio
Prof. Fred T. Sai, the renowned reproductive rights advocate has been celebrated by delegates who attended the just ended “Keeping our promise” conference to address unsafe abortion in Africa for devoting his life towards championing the course of women’s reproductive health.
At a Gala dinner organised as part of the conference, speaker upon speaker extolled the leadership role Prof Sai had taken in the crusade to promote reproductive rights globally and particularly in Africa for many years.
At the event, a book written by Prof Sai’s book, “Heart and Voice”, which tells the story of his life and work was also unveiled.
In his remarks, Tewodros Melesse, Regional Director, International Planned Parenthood Federation, (IPPF) said Prof Sai many of those engaged in the movement to care and fight for women,s rights need to follow the example of Prof Sai.
“He has shown that we should not only expect others to care about us, we should care about ourselves” said Melesse.
He stated further that Prof. Sai has been more than an African, standing out as a global citizen with a caring voice.
Dr. Eunice Brookman-Amissah, Ipas Vice President for Africa also described Prof Sai as a mentor, not only for her but for many who are now seen as leaders in the crusade for reproductive health.
She indicated that Prof Sai’s passion for the course he believed has infected many people and his contribution will be remembered for a long time.
Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, who is also a champion for reproductive rights described Prof. Sai as a Phenomenal human being.
“He started his crusade by promoting proper nutrition. He took that straight on and worked boldly in that area”, said Prof Akosa.
Prof Sai, he said, also worked hard n the area of population with the belief that if a population is not well managed the end result will be poverty.
Another speaker, Prof Andrew Arkutu, chairman of the National Population Council commeded Prof Sai for being “the guiding light of a movement started about 50 years ago.
Prof. Sai’s tireless efforts, he said, is a direct result of the gains achieved in the broad area of reproductive health.
In his response, Prof Sai thanked Ipas for encouraging him to write the book.
“Ipas has not ceased to recognise the work that I have done. It is an organisation that I have never worked for, so their interest is a genuine appreciation of my effort”, Prof Sai said.
He said his work will serve as footprints for dispirited social scientists and African politicians on the same courser who are despairing to pick up and move one.
Conference delegates who attended the event were all presented with copied of the book which Prof. Sai agreed to autograph in return for donation of any amount of money to be used towards supporting girls pursuing science at the university.
Prof. Fred T. Sai, the renowned reproductive rights advocate has been celebrated by delegates who attended the just ended “Keeping our promise” conference to address unsafe abortion in Africa for devoting his life towards championing the course of women’s reproductive health.
At a Gala dinner organised as part of the conference, speaker upon speaker extolled the leadership role Prof Sai had taken in the crusade to promote reproductive rights globally and particularly in Africa for many years.
At the event, a book written by Prof Sai’s book, “Heart and Voice”, which tells the story of his life and work was also unveiled.
In his remarks, Tewodros Melesse, Regional Director, International Planned Parenthood Federation, (IPPF) said Prof Sai many of those engaged in the movement to care and fight for women,s rights need to follow the example of Prof Sai.
“He has shown that we should not only expect others to care about us, we should care about ourselves” said Melesse.
He stated further that Prof. Sai has been more than an African, standing out as a global citizen with a caring voice.
Dr. Eunice Brookman-Amissah, Ipas Vice President for Africa also described Prof Sai as a mentor, not only for her but for many who are now seen as leaders in the crusade for reproductive health.
She indicated that Prof Sai’s passion for the course he believed has infected many people and his contribution will be remembered for a long time.
Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, who is also a champion for reproductive rights described Prof. Sai as a Phenomenal human being.
“He started his crusade by promoting proper nutrition. He took that straight on and worked boldly in that area”, said Prof Akosa.
Prof Sai, he said, also worked hard n the area of population with the belief that if a population is not well managed the end result will be poverty.
Another speaker, Prof Andrew Arkutu, chairman of the National Population Council commeded Prof Sai for being “the guiding light of a movement started about 50 years ago.
Prof. Sai’s tireless efforts, he said, is a direct result of the gains achieved in the broad area of reproductive health.
In his response, Prof Sai thanked Ipas for encouraging him to write the book.
“Ipas has not ceased to recognise the work that I have done. It is an organisation that I have never worked for, so their interest is a genuine appreciation of my effort”, Prof Sai said.
He said his work will serve as footprints for dispirited social scientists and African politicians on the same courser who are despairing to pick up and move one.
Conference delegates who attended the event were all presented with copied of the book which Prof. Sai agreed to autograph in return for donation of any amount of money to be used towards supporting girls pursuing science at the university.
Monday, November 15, 2010
African Governments urged to give priority to health needs of women
African Governments have been urged to give priority to addressing the reproductive health issues of women to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially Goal five, which talks about “Improve Maternal Health”.
In addition, they should honour their commitments as stipulated in the Maputo Plan Protocol on the Rights of Women 2003, with special emphasis on increased access to safe abortion to sustain the life of every African woman.
The call was contained in a declaration issued at the end of the four-day conference of African Health Experts and Women’s Health Advocates on “Keeping Our Promise: Unsafe Abortion in Africa”.
Mrs Fannie Kachale, Deputy Director of Reproductive Health Unit, Ministry of Health, Malawi, who read the declaration, said African Governments should work to build a sustainable supply of medical technologies for contraception and safe abortion care.
“Women and girls are dying everyday in Africa through unsafe abortion and we have the knowledge, the will and the technologies to prevent these senseless deaths,” she added.
Governments, the declaration said, should initiate review of laws criminalizing abortion, in line with specific commitments under international and regional agreements, including specific and increased funding for reproductive health and measures to address unsafe abortion in national and health system budgets.
The delegates called on multilateral donor agencies as well as international technical support agencies to direct more resources to prevent unsafe abortion and make safe legal abortion available.
They should also provide policy and technical support for expanding women’s access to safe abortion care.
The delegates reaffirmed their commitment to providing leadership and accelerate action to expand African women’s access to safe abortion care and end needless deaths and injuries from unsafe abortion.
Mrs Juliana Azumah Mensah, Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, addressing the closing session, called on governments to fulfill their political will expressed in addressing the health needs of women.
In addition, they should honour their commitments as stipulated in the Maputo Plan Protocol on the Rights of Women 2003, with special emphasis on increased access to safe abortion to sustain the life of every African woman.
The call was contained in a declaration issued at the end of the four-day conference of African Health Experts and Women’s Health Advocates on “Keeping Our Promise: Unsafe Abortion in Africa”.
Mrs Fannie Kachale, Deputy Director of Reproductive Health Unit, Ministry of Health, Malawi, who read the declaration, said African Governments should work to build a sustainable supply of medical technologies for contraception and safe abortion care.
“Women and girls are dying everyday in Africa through unsafe abortion and we have the knowledge, the will and the technologies to prevent these senseless deaths,” she added.
Governments, the declaration said, should initiate review of laws criminalizing abortion, in line with specific commitments under international and regional agreements, including specific and increased funding for reproductive health and measures to address unsafe abortion in national and health system budgets.
The delegates called on multilateral donor agencies as well as international technical support agencies to direct more resources to prevent unsafe abortion and make safe legal abortion available.
They should also provide policy and technical support for expanding women’s access to safe abortion care.
The delegates reaffirmed their commitment to providing leadership and accelerate action to expand African women’s access to safe abortion care and end needless deaths and injuries from unsafe abortion.
Mrs Juliana Azumah Mensah, Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, addressing the closing session, called on governments to fulfill their political will expressed in addressing the health needs of women.
African health experts to discuss unsafe abortion
More than 250 health care providers, advocates, Parliamentarians, women’s groups, community members and allied agencies from across Africa are meeting in Accra, to share best practices and lessons and initiate an agenda for action.
The four-day conference would focus on unsafe abortion as a critical issue for reproductive health and rights in Africa, and for achieving the Millennium Development Goal Five, to reduce maternal mortality.
Opening the conference in Accra, Mr Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Health, said no woman should die of unsafe abortion when there were legal abortion services available.
He said women needed to be given a voice and choices if really Africa needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
Mr Mettle-Nunoo said women needed to be respected and the meeting was an opportunity to take stock of the progress made in addressing unsafe abortion.
IPAS, an International non-governmental organisation, the main sponsor of the conference, is collaboration with the Ministry of Health, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Women’s Development and Communication Network (better known as FEMNET), International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Regional Office and Marie Stopes International to organise the event.
It is under the theme “Keeping Our Promise: Addressing Unsafe Abortion in Africa”.
Mr Mettle-Nunoo noted that there were laws regarding abortion that needed to be enforced and said women should also be educated on the provision of safe abortion in certain instances.
He called for intensified training to ensure that doctors undertake quality abortion and expressed concern for the inadequate supply of contraceptives.
The Deputy Minister of Health condemned the stigmatisation of women who undertake abortion and said there should be more education on the matter.
He said “no woman wants abortion and if it requires that she does it, there is a law that backs that decision”.
More than half of the 67,500 global deaths related to unsafe abortion, occur in Africa and more than half of the women who die from unsafe abortion in Africa are younger than 25 years.
Of the five million women globally who are hospitalised with complications from unsafe abortion every year, more than one million are from Africa.
Dr Eunice Brookman-Amissah, IPAS Vice President for Africa, said “We have made great achievements towards saving women’s lives in the past several years and we must strive to reform archaic laws. We must trust women to make their own reproductive choices for themselves, their families and their communities.”
She explained that while celebrating new data indicating that globally maternal mortality was at last falling, little progress had occurred on the African continent.
Dr Brookman-Amissah said: “Obtaining real political commitment to address unsafe abortion remains very hard but this needs to happen if we are to eliminate this totally preventable cause of maternal deaths in our countries.
“When leaders fail to implement known, affordable solutions to this entirely preventable problem, we can only conclude that they do not sufficiently value the women and girls whose lives are at stake”.
The IPAS Vice President said for the achievement of MDG5 and to protect African women and girls, it was essential that “we take the next step in effectively addressing unsafe abortion, including improving women’s access to safe abortion. And the time for that is NOW --before many more women die”.
Dr Brookman-Amissah called for strategies to overcome the iniquities and inequities that were restrictive to abortion laws and take the moral decision to no longer deny women access to services that we had the knowledge and the technologies to provide.
Dr Richard Turkson, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Canada, noted that the stigma surrounding abortion was still very strong but no longer absolute and there was the need now to say the word “abortion” in many settings where it previously was unthinkable.
Women’s right to sexual and reproductive health, including the right to safe legally-permitted abortion, he said was a basic human right that should be enjoyed by all women and like every human right, this should translate into the necessary social, economic and cultural conditions and facilities under which their legitimate aspirations and dignity might be fully realized.
The agenda of the conference would include; a review of regional and national progress in addressing unsafe abortion, lessons from research and experience that could improve safe abortion care, post abortion care and related reproductive health care, such as preventing unwanted pregnancy, discussion of an agenda for action for the African region and ways to improve collaboration among governments, NGOs and other stakeholders.
The four-day conference would focus on unsafe abortion as a critical issue for reproductive health and rights in Africa, and for achieving the Millennium Development Goal Five, to reduce maternal mortality.
Opening the conference in Accra, Mr Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Health, said no woman should die of unsafe abortion when there were legal abortion services available.
He said women needed to be given a voice and choices if really Africa needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
Mr Mettle-Nunoo said women needed to be respected and the meeting was an opportunity to take stock of the progress made in addressing unsafe abortion.
IPAS, an International non-governmental organisation, the main sponsor of the conference, is collaboration with the Ministry of Health, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Women’s Development and Communication Network (better known as FEMNET), International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Regional Office and Marie Stopes International to organise the event.
It is under the theme “Keeping Our Promise: Addressing Unsafe Abortion in Africa”.
Mr Mettle-Nunoo noted that there were laws regarding abortion that needed to be enforced and said women should also be educated on the provision of safe abortion in certain instances.
He called for intensified training to ensure that doctors undertake quality abortion and expressed concern for the inadequate supply of contraceptives.
The Deputy Minister of Health condemned the stigmatisation of women who undertake abortion and said there should be more education on the matter.
He said “no woman wants abortion and if it requires that she does it, there is a law that backs that decision”.
More than half of the 67,500 global deaths related to unsafe abortion, occur in Africa and more than half of the women who die from unsafe abortion in Africa are younger than 25 years.
Of the five million women globally who are hospitalised with complications from unsafe abortion every year, more than one million are from Africa.
Dr Eunice Brookman-Amissah, IPAS Vice President for Africa, said “We have made great achievements towards saving women’s lives in the past several years and we must strive to reform archaic laws. We must trust women to make their own reproductive choices for themselves, their families and their communities.”
She explained that while celebrating new data indicating that globally maternal mortality was at last falling, little progress had occurred on the African continent.
Dr Brookman-Amissah said: “Obtaining real political commitment to address unsafe abortion remains very hard but this needs to happen if we are to eliminate this totally preventable cause of maternal deaths in our countries.
“When leaders fail to implement known, affordable solutions to this entirely preventable problem, we can only conclude that they do not sufficiently value the women and girls whose lives are at stake”.
The IPAS Vice President said for the achievement of MDG5 and to protect African women and girls, it was essential that “we take the next step in effectively addressing unsafe abortion, including improving women’s access to safe abortion. And the time for that is NOW --before many more women die”.
Dr Brookman-Amissah called for strategies to overcome the iniquities and inequities that were restrictive to abortion laws and take the moral decision to no longer deny women access to services that we had the knowledge and the technologies to provide.
Dr Richard Turkson, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Canada, noted that the stigma surrounding abortion was still very strong but no longer absolute and there was the need now to say the word “abortion” in many settings where it previously was unthinkable.
Women’s right to sexual and reproductive health, including the right to safe legally-permitted abortion, he said was a basic human right that should be enjoyed by all women and like every human right, this should translate into the necessary social, economic and cultural conditions and facilities under which their legitimate aspirations and dignity might be fully realized.
The agenda of the conference would include; a review of regional and national progress in addressing unsafe abortion, lessons from research and experience that could improve safe abortion care, post abortion care and related reproductive health care, such as preventing unwanted pregnancy, discussion of an agenda for action for the African region and ways to improve collaboration among governments, NGOs and other stakeholders.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
African health experts to discuss unsafe abortion
African health experts to discuss unsafe abortion
More than 250 health care providers, advocates, Parliamentarians, women's groups, community members and allied agencies from across Africa are meeting in Accra, to share best practices and lessons and initiate an agenda for action.
The four-day conference would focus on unsafe abortion as a critical issue for reproductive health and rights in Africa, and for achieving the Millennium Development Goal Five, to reduce maternal mortality.
Opening the conference in Accra, Mr Robert Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Health, said no woman should die of unsafe abortion when there were legal abortion services available.
He said women needed to be given a voice and choices if really Africa needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
Mr Mettle-Nunoo said women needed to be respected and the meeting was an opportunity to take stock of the progress made in addressing unsafe abortion.
IPAS, an International non-governmental organisation, the main sponsor of the conference, is collaboration with the Ministry of Health, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Women's Development and Communication Network (better known as FEMNET), International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Regional Office and Marie Stopes International to organise the event.
It is under the theme "Keeping Our Promise: Addressing Unsafe Abortion in Africa".
Mr Mettle-Nunoo noted that there were laws regarding abortion that needed to be enforced and said women should also be educated on the provision of safe abortion in certain instances.
He called for intensified training to ensure that doctors undertake quality abortion and expressed concern for the inadequate supply of contraceptives.
The Deputy Minister of Health condemned the stigmatisation of women who undertake abortion and said there should be more education on the matter.
He said "no woman wants abortion and if it requires that she does it, there is a law that backs that decision".
More than half of the 67,500 global deaths related to unsafe abortion, occur in Africa and more than half of the women who die from unsafe abortion in Africa are younger than 25 years.
Of the five million women globally who are hospitalised with complications from unsafe abortion every year, more than one million are from Africa.
Dr Eunice Brookman-Amissah, IPAS Vice President for Africa, said "We have made great achievements towards saving women's lives in the past several years and we must strive to reform archaic laws. We must trust women to make their own reproductive choices for themselves, their families and their communities."
She explained that while celebrating new data indicating that globally maternal mortality was at last falling, little progress had occurred on the African continent.
Dr Brookman-Amissah said: "Obtaining real political commitment to address unsafe abortion remains very hard but this needs to happen if we are to eliminate this totally preventable cause of maternal deaths in our countries.
"When leaders fail to implement known, affordable solutions to this entirely preventable problem, we can only conclude that they do not sufficiently value the women and girls whose lives are at stake".
The IPAS Vice President said for the achievement of MDG5 and to protect African women and girls, it was essential that "we take the next step in effectively addressing unsafe abortion, including improving women's access to safe abortion. And the time for that is NOW --before many more women die".
Dr Brookman-Amissah called for strategies to overcome the iniquities and inequities that were restrictive to abortion laws and take the moral decision to no longer deny women access to services that we had the knowledge and the technologies to provide.
Dr Richard Turkson, Ghana's High Commissioner to Canada, noted that the stigma surrounding abortion was still very strong but no longer absolute and there was the need now to say the word "abortion" in many settings where it previously was unthinkable.
Women's right to sexual and reproductive health, including the right to safe legally-permitted abortion, he said was a basic human right that should be enjoyed by all women and like every human right, this should translate into the necessary social, economic and cultural conditions and facilities under which their legitimate aspirations and dignity might be fully realised.
The agenda of the conference would include; a review of regional and national progress in addressing unsafe abortion, lessons from research and experience that could improve safe abortion care, post abortion care and related reproductive health care, such as preventing unwanted pregnancy, discussion of an agenda for action for the African region and ways to improve collaboration among governments, NGOs and other stakeholders.
GNA
Unsafe Abortion: A Concern for African Youth
Unsafe Abortion: A Concern for African Youth
This is the second in a series of articles from Keeping Our Promise: Addressing Unsafe Abortion in Africa this week. The conference has brought together more than 250 health providers, advocates, policy makers and youth participants for a discussion of how to reduce the impact of unsafe abortion in Africa.
She walks mumbling inaudible words to herself on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria. Passersby take her for a mental case. But they are wrong. Ejieke (not real name) has just lost her daughter to complications from an unsafe abortion. But she is not willing to talk about the tragedy publicly. Reason? Abortion is a criminal offence in the country whose current laws are a replica of the old British colonial rules.
A friend reveals that Ejieke visited a traditional healer who devised an unsafe method to extract the foetus from her daughter’s womb. In the end, the abortion went bad and the girl bled to death.
Patrick Ezie, a medical student at the Imo state University in Nigeria says abortion has claimed many women’s lives in Nigeria, especially in the Islam-dominated northern part of the country. On average, he says the maternal mortality rate is over 800 deaths per 100,000 births although the figures go up to over 1,000 deaths in the north where the practice of the Sharia law is very strict.
“Unlike other countries where abortion can be allowed when a woman’s life is in danger, we do not have any law providing for abortion in Nigeria. What we have is a Criminal Act where anyone found procuring abortion, selling abortion-inducing drugs, or discussing how abortion can be procured is arrested,” Ezie says.
Ezie is one of about 25 African youth participants attending a regional conference on unsafe abortion in Accra, Ghana. The particular impact of unsafe abortion on youth is a theme running throughout the conference, called Keeping Our Promise: Addressing Unsafe Abortion in Africa. Young people in Africa are disproportionately affected by unsafe abortion. In Nigeria, it is estimated that 80% of women who seek treatment for complications of unsafe abortion are under the age of 25.
In a region with restrictive abortion laws and low contraceptive prevalence broadly, young women face significant barriers to preventing unwanted pregnancy and to safe abortion care. Young people lack access to comprehensive sexual health information and may be unable negotiate safer sex; they may also be denied access to reproductive health services themselves – Innocent Kommwa, 31, of the Pakachere Institute of Health and Development Communication reports that in many locations, married women receive preferential treatment at health centers.
Ezie has started a campaign to sensitise the masses about safe abortion, starting with university students. He has so far visited the 30 medical schools in Nigeria, together with Ipas, an international NGO advocate for women’s health rights. He has also held four demonstrations in Ghana to project the plight of unsafe abortion in Nigeria.
Most African countries share similar experiences with regards to abortion care. Eunice Brookman-Amissah, Ipas Vice President for Africa reveals that access to contraceptives is one of the issues that can stop unsafe abortion. But, she adds, the average contraceptive intake in Africa is still low at 15% compared to countries like Thailand where it is at over 70%. She adds that more than half of the 65,500 global deaths from unsafe abortion occur in Africa. “More than half of those who die from unsafe abortion in Africa are younger than 25 years.”
Queen Masaka Mbao, a programme officer for Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia says abortion is regarded as a taboo in her country and that once a woman has aborted, they are regarded as social outcasts. “A victim of abortion is isolated and they are not allowed to prepare food for the family because it is culturally believed that such a person is unclean and once they put salt in food and people eat, they can develop prolonged cough.”
Mbao’s colleague, Vivien Bwembya, a programme assistant for young women in action in Zambia says there is too much stigma against women who have had abortions and ignorance about the practice, yet there is a Pregnancy Termination of Act of 1972 which provides for abortion in a number of circumstances. “Many people including doctors and politicians are ignorant about this law,” she says. There is a significant impediment, however: a woman seeking an abortion has to be approved by at least three medical doctors. This, Bwembya notes, has resulted in unsafe abortions and deaths of young women. “Some professional practitioners now carry out abortion stealthily for fear of being arrested because securing the three signatures is not an easy task.”
Even obtaining the needed signatures brings its own challenges, she says. “Some doctors want to be tipped to sign for victims.”
Gustav Quayson, a communications and advocacy officer with Ghana’s Health Foundation, says much as Ghana’s abortion law is liberal and adequatelyflexible to respond to the needs of women, too many people are ignorant about the law and many still use crude methods to abort. Quayson is of the view that addressing sex education among youths would help to sensitise the young people about safe abortion.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
BREAK THE SILENCE ON UNSAFE ABORTION – PRESIDENT MILLS
By James Addy
President J. E. Mills, has urged African governments to join the crusade to break the culture of silence on unsafe abortions on the continent.
He made this appeal in an address read for him at a three-day international conference on unsafe abortion in Africa held in Accra this week.
In a speech read on his behalf by Mr Robert-Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, the Deputy Minister of Health, President Mills said, “I happily join the crusade in keeping the promise. It is time to break the culture of silence on unsafe abortions in Africa women have a choice. They need to know their rights.”
“Keeping our promise: Addressing unsafe abortion in Africa” and sponsored by Women’s Health International Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) Ipas in collaboration with Ghana’s Ministry of Health, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Women’s Development and Communication Network the International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa and Marie Slopes International.
It was attended by about 250 participants including health care providers’ advocates, parliamentarians, women groups who shared best practices and also lessons learned in the course of their activities.
Dr Thokozile Ruzvidzo, Director, African Centre for Gender and Social Development, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, in a keynote address said the Millennium Development Goals cannot be achieved without a specific focus on eliminating unsafe abortion from the continent. She said “maternal mortality and morbidity not only affects women, it affects their families, our communities and our countries.”
Dr Ruzvidzo said nonetheless the causes of maternal complications and deaths, including unsafe abortion, are preventable only if gender concerns are put at the front of the line.
She said combating discrimination against women and girls is therefore critical to eliminate preventable maternal morbidity and mortality.
Dr Ruzvidzo said unsafe abortion is frequently the only recourse young, poor, uneducated and rural women have to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
“They take place in situations characterized by inadequate provider skills, the use of hazardous techniques and in unsanitary facilities, and endanger the lives of thousands of African women”, she said.
Dr Ruzvidzo said 67,000 women die annually globally as a result of complications of unsafe abortion.
Additionally between two million and seven million women each year survive unsafe abortions but sustain long-term damage or disease.
Dr Ruzvidzo said more than half of the deaths from unsafe abortion an estimated 35,000 occur in Africa, adding that the WHO estimates that in Africa, one in seven maternal deaths result from unsafe abortion.
Dr Ruzvidzo observed:” that so many women resort to unsafe abortion reveals how women on our continent do not enjoy the basic freedoms and rights to which all human beings are entitled, thus limiting their full potential for development.”
Dr Ruzvidzo said each year an estimated 14 million women in Africa experience unintended pregnancy which reflects the persistent, unacceptably high unmet need for contraception.
“As many as a quarter of all African women who want to practice family planning lack information or effective contraceptive methods they need to do so,” she said.
Dr Ruzvidzo said although there had been progress in addressing that gap in recent years and decades, more in some countries than others, the unmet need for contraception remains a gross in justice for women in the region.
Dr Elizabeth Maguire, the president of Ipas said an integrated approach to contraception and safe abortion is critical to solving the global public health crisis caused by unwanted pregnancies.
She called on African governments to strengthen and expand efforts in both public and private sectors to end unwanted pregnancy to enable women to exercise fully their sexual and reproduction
President J. E. Mills, has urged African governments to join the crusade to break the culture of silence on unsafe abortions on the continent.
He made this appeal in an address read for him at a three-day international conference on unsafe abortion in Africa held in Accra this week.
In a speech read on his behalf by Mr Robert-Joseph Mettle-Nunoo, the Deputy Minister of Health, President Mills said, “I happily join the crusade in keeping the promise. It is time to break the culture of silence on unsafe abortions in Africa women have a choice. They need to know their rights.”
“Keeping our promise: Addressing unsafe abortion in Africa” and sponsored by Women’s Health International Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) Ipas in collaboration with Ghana’s Ministry of Health, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Women’s Development and Communication Network the International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa and Marie Slopes International.
It was attended by about 250 participants including health care providers’ advocates, parliamentarians, women groups who shared best practices and also lessons learned in the course of their activities.
Dr Thokozile Ruzvidzo, Director, African Centre for Gender and Social Development, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, in a keynote address said the Millennium Development Goals cannot be achieved without a specific focus on eliminating unsafe abortion from the continent. She said “maternal mortality and morbidity not only affects women, it affects their families, our communities and our countries.”
Dr Ruzvidzo said nonetheless the causes of maternal complications and deaths, including unsafe abortion, are preventable only if gender concerns are put at the front of the line.
She said combating discrimination against women and girls is therefore critical to eliminate preventable maternal morbidity and mortality.
Dr Ruzvidzo said unsafe abortion is frequently the only recourse young, poor, uneducated and rural women have to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
“They take place in situations characterized by inadequate provider skills, the use of hazardous techniques and in unsanitary facilities, and endanger the lives of thousands of African women”, she said.
Dr Ruzvidzo said 67,000 women die annually globally as a result of complications of unsafe abortion.
Additionally between two million and seven million women each year survive unsafe abortions but sustain long-term damage or disease.
Dr Ruzvidzo said more than half of the deaths from unsafe abortion an estimated 35,000 occur in Africa, adding that the WHO estimates that in Africa, one in seven maternal deaths result from unsafe abortion.
Dr Ruzvidzo observed:” that so many women resort to unsafe abortion reveals how women on our continent do not enjoy the basic freedoms and rights to which all human beings are entitled, thus limiting their full potential for development.”
Dr Ruzvidzo said each year an estimated 14 million women in Africa experience unintended pregnancy which reflects the persistent, unacceptably high unmet need for contraception.
“As many as a quarter of all African women who want to practice family planning lack information or effective contraceptive methods they need to do so,” she said.
Dr Ruzvidzo said although there had been progress in addressing that gap in recent years and decades, more in some countries than others, the unmet need for contraception remains a gross in justice for women in the region.
Dr Elizabeth Maguire, the president of Ipas said an integrated approach to contraception and safe abortion is critical to solving the global public health crisis caused by unwanted pregnancies.
She called on African governments to strengthen and expand efforts in both public and private sectors to end unwanted pregnancy to enable women to exercise fully their sexual and reproduction
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