10 November 2010 - A landmark four-day conference opened in Ghana this week on the much-neglected issue of unsafe abortion in relation to the health of African women. Health experts, policymakers and practitioners from around Africa focused on the Conference's theme: "Keeping our Promise: Addressing unsafe abortion in Africa", which is now recognized as a critical issue for reproductive health and rights in Africa.
Ms. Thokozile Ruzvidzo, Director of the African Center for Gender and Social Development at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) says that the Regional Conference has opened up a much-needed debate and is recommending policy options on an issue that is often taboo.
"An estimated 36,000 young adults of school going age die needlessly of unsafe abortion in Africa," she says adding that: "on the African continent, the debate needs to address legalizing abortion and making it a safe practice; this must go hand in hand with prevention against unwanted pregnancies and HIV infection, which is also a result of unprotected sex."
The Conference acknowledges that many commitments have been made regarding women's health, maternal mortality and addressing unsafe abortion, but strategies for meeting these unfulfilled promises are needed.
Ms. Ruzvidzo points out that the conference is building on growing concerns that the alarming maternal mortality is failing African women. "Five months ago, at the highest leadership level, the African Heads of State Summit in Kampala in July 2010 had as its theme, Maternal, infant and child health," She says, and adds that commitments are needed at all levels to safeguard the reproductive health and rights of women to reverse the needless deaths of many young women.
"Roughly 5.5 million unsafe abortions are performed annually in Africa and the deaths from unsafe abortion account for approximately 14 percent of all maternal deaths in the region," quotes Ms. Ruzvidzo from World Health Organization (WHO) data.
For her part, Ms. Aissatou Gueye, from ECA's Economic Development and NEPAD Division told the forum that unsafe abortion is the only recourse many women have to control their fertility preferences, which results in high morbidity and mortality, and is a clear violation of their human rights.
"Existing international and regional agreements on women's rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights must be honored to improve maternal mortality and reduce the incidence of unsafe abortion," she said.
The Conference was organized by Ipas, a global nongovernmental organization dedicated to ending preventable deaths and disabilities from unsafe abortion in conjunction with the ECA, African Network for Medical Abortion (ANMA), FEMNET (the African Women's Development and Communication Network), the Ghana Ministry of Health, International Planned Parenthood Foundation Africa Regional Office and Marie Stopes International.
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