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The Nairobian

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Unsafe abortions: Silent threat fueling maternal death crisis

Health & Science

By Ayoki Onyango | Feb 17, 2025

**Womans palms pressed together and keep embryo. from paper .Red lood comes from the baby and looks like abortation. Hands are located at the top. Pink background.[**Getty Image]

One of the major problems associated with reproductive health is unsafe abortions. This issue has been a dominant topic in reproductive and sexual rights workshops across Africa and globally, with the latest workshop on the subject taking place in Maputo, Mozambique.

It was also a central topic at a seminar in Kenya. Unsafe abortion has been identified as a leading cause of death for many young and middle-aged women in Kenya and other African countries. Medical experts argue that urgent measures must be put in place to prevent unnecessary deaths, particularly among single women. Discussions at these workshops have also focused on economic empowerment for women and the role of the media in highlighting reproductive health and sexual rights issues.

Complications linked to unsafe abortions remain a significant cause of death among African women. Unsafe abortions contribute to 30 per cent of maternal deaths in many sub-Saharan African countries, according to a medical expert at the Maputo workshop. Unsafe abortions are also responsible for between 40 to 60 percent of all gynaecological problems in Kenya and Africa. Many women die or fail to reach hospitals for treatment of abortion-related complications.

At the Mozambique workshop on sexual health and rights, medical experts and health journalists passed a resolution identifying unsafe abortion as a major cause of maternal deaths and illnesses. Experts at the conference agreed to conduct a study to better understand the issue and promote meaningful dialogue among policymakers.

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The study aims to document the scale of abortion problems in Africa and compare findings with those from developed countries. The study’s results will form the basis of a reference monograph. Data collected by a team of skilled experts on women’s reproductive health issues clearly points to a public health crisis of significant magnitude.

“Bleeding and infections, or haemorrhage and sepsis, are common complications associated with incomplete or unsafe abortions,” explains a South African report, which reveals that 35 percent of maternal deaths from sepsis are abortion-related. “In most cases, abortion-related deaths occur among single women,” the report adds.

It is further noted that most studies on this issue have been based on hospital or clinical settings, but many abortion-related maternal deaths occur in rural homes or villages, areas lacking clinical facilities. This highlights the need for more community-based studies to gain a more accurate picture of the situation outside official health systems.

The study also emphasises the necessity of improving abortion technologies, particularly the use of Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA). The expert presentations at the workshop were considered the first comprehensive effort to bring together research and findings on the consequences of unsafe abortions. “In Kenya, most women treated for unsafe abortions were not using contraception at the time of pregnancy,” one expert explains. “Lack of information about family planning and the inaccessibility of these services are the real reasons for the non-use of contraception.” Mental health conditions are also major causes of complications and infections in unsafe abortions.

In Kenya, the maternal mortality rate is 450 deaths per 100,000 live births, while 40 per cent of women suffer from anaemia due to poor diets and iron deficiency. A study conducted in Nairobi among 1,351 commercial sex workers in the densely populated Kibera slums, and 2,000 prostitutes in Majengo slums, showed a 42 per cent condom failure rate during sexual intercourse. This often leads to unwanted pregnancies and, in turn, attempts at abortion. Increased violence against women, cattle rustling, and ethnic conflict in Kenya have led to an increase in rape cases, which in turn result in unintended pregnancies that may lead to abortions and miscarriages.

In 2004, 15 dead foetuses were found dumped at a garbage site in South C estate, Nairobi. This tragic event is just one of many instances of abortions in the country, which continue to occur despite abortion being illegal and a criminal offence in Kenya. Many young, single women cannot afford to support children born out of wedlock. Unsafe abortions will continue to haunt Kenya and other African nations unless effective measures are put in place to address the issue.