By DOREEN NAWA
THE Zambian government says despite having legal provisions on the termination of pregnancies, women have continued using unsafe methods of removing pregnancies leading to complications and premature deaths.
And World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative Olusegun Ayorinde Babaniyi says unsafe abortions are one of the leading causes of maternal death and illness around the world, yet it is also one of the most preventable.
Speaking at a meeting on the Dissemination of the WHO safe abortion technical and policy guidance for health systems recently, deputy director in the department of surveillance and research at the Ministry of Health Maximillian Bweupe said unsafe abortions have become a topical issue globally because women are having injuries with some dying from deaths that can be prevented.
“The number of pregnancy-related deaths in Zambia remains unacceptably among the highest in the world, as it currently stands at 591 per 100,000 live births far above the millennium declaration target and 2015 is just around the corner,” Dr Bweupe said.
Dr Bweupe said the subject of abortion in society is considered taboo with widespread stigmatisation and criminalisation by both non-professionals and professionals, leaving women with few options and resorting to clandestine and backyard unsafe methods of terminating pregnancies.
“We are aware that some of the societal norms subject many women to unsafe or unwanted sex and this results into unwanted pregnancies. Additionally, overall family planning coverage remains low and put together, these factors lead to a high number of unsafe abortions,” Dr Bweupe said.
In Zambia, statistics indicate that unsafe abortions contribute up to 30 percent to the maternal mortality ratio and that is why Government has taken steps to design appropriate strategies to prevent unsafe abortions through the prevention of unwanted pregnancies.
Dr Bweupe said ending unsafe abortions is an urgent public-health and human right imperative.
And Dr Babaniyi said unsafe abortions are a serious drain on the very limited public health resources adding that African governments spend, on average US$114 per case to provide care for illness and disability associated with unsafe abortions, yet per capita spending on healthcare averages just about US$48.
“The terrible effects of unsafe abortions go well beyond the individual woman. Losing a mother and caregiver devastates the lives of children and families, and losing a healthy woman’s contributions to society reduces productivity and weakens her community,” Dr Babaniyi said.
And Ipas Zambia executive director Felicia Sakala said women around the world risk their lives to end unwanted pregnancies, yet unsafe abortions are preventable.
Mrs Sakala said advocacy for increased access to safe legal abortion is needed in order to mitigate the ever-increasing cases of unsafe abortion related deaths.
THE Zambian government says despite having legal provisions on the termination of pregnancies, women have continued using unsafe methods of removing pregnancies leading to complications and premature deaths.
And World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative Olusegun Ayorinde Babaniyi says unsafe abortions are one of the leading causes of maternal death and illness around the world, yet it is also one of the most preventable.
Speaking at a meeting on the Dissemination of the WHO safe abortion technical and policy guidance for health systems recently, deputy director in the department of surveillance and research at the Ministry of Health Maximillian Bweupe said unsafe abortions have become a topical issue globally because women are having injuries with some dying from deaths that can be prevented.
“The number of pregnancy-related deaths in Zambia remains unacceptably among the highest in the world, as it currently stands at 591 per 100,000 live births far above the millennium declaration target and 2015 is just around the corner,” Dr Bweupe said.
Dr Bweupe said the subject of abortion in society is considered taboo with widespread stigmatisation and criminalisation by both non-professionals and professionals, leaving women with few options and resorting to clandestine and backyard unsafe methods of terminating pregnancies.
“We are aware that some of the societal norms subject many women to unsafe or unwanted sex and this results into unwanted pregnancies. Additionally, overall family planning coverage remains low and put together, these factors lead to a high number of unsafe abortions,” Dr Bweupe said.
In Zambia, statistics indicate that unsafe abortions contribute up to 30 percent to the maternal mortality ratio and that is why Government has taken steps to design appropriate strategies to prevent unsafe abortions through the prevention of unwanted pregnancies.
Dr Bweupe said ending unsafe abortions is an urgent public-health and human right imperative.
And Dr Babaniyi said unsafe abortions are a serious drain on the very limited public health resources adding that African governments spend, on average US$114 per case to provide care for illness and disability associated with unsafe abortions, yet per capita spending on healthcare averages just about US$48.
“The terrible effects of unsafe abortions go well beyond the individual woman. Losing a mother and caregiver devastates the lives of children and families, and losing a healthy woman’s contributions to society reduces productivity and weakens her community,” Dr Babaniyi said.
And Ipas Zambia executive director Felicia Sakala said women around the world risk their lives to end unwanted pregnancies, yet unsafe abortions are preventable.
Mrs Sakala said advocacy for increased access to safe legal abortion is needed in order to mitigate the ever-increasing cases of unsafe abortion related deaths.
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