Kahangu Kanyimbu

Worldwide, unsafe abortion accounts for around 1 in 7 deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth. The problem is most acute in Africa, which has the highest number of maternal deaths of any region in the world. Every year, at least 6 million women in Africa terminate their pregnancies in unsafe conditions. If women have access to legal abortion, the safety of the procedure improves and the number of maternal deaths falls. More than 9 out of 10 African women of childbearing age live in countries with restrictive abortion legislation. Only 1 in 4 abortions in Africa is performed in safe conditions, i.e. by a qualified medical provider in an environment that meets minimum medical standards. Restrictions on abortion do not prevent the practice, but increase the likelihood that women will use unsafe, potentially life-threatening methods.