Doctors recommend safe abortions for slum women

Rael Tago, a widowed mother of seven, whose daughter died from complications of an unsafe abortion. Photo | Mercy Juma

What you need to know:

  • The medics, through their umbrella organization Kenya Medical Association (KMA), said they want law makers to craft policies that enable safe abortion and reproductive health services including Family Planning (FP) services.

Doctors have recommended the provision of safe abortion services for women living in slums to address rising complications due to backstreet abortions.

The medics, through their umbrella organization Kenya Medical Association (KMA), said they want law makers to craft policies that enable safe abortion and reproductive health services including Family Planning (FP) services.

KMA chairman Elly Nyaim said unsafe abortion is preventable yet it remains a major public health concern in Kenya because of the high numbers of women who are affected despite getting unintended pregnancies from low access to FP, incest, defilement, rape, early forced marriages and early sexual debut from young people who lack information on sex, sexuality and reproductive health.

KMA supported the recommendations of a study dubbed Knowledge Attitude and Practices Study on Contraceptives and Safe Abortion Services Among Health Providers and Women of Reproductive Age in Mathare, Nairobi.

The report, which highlights lack of access to quality contraceptives and safe abortion services as contributing to unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion practices, was launched and presented to them by the Principal Investigator Boaz Otieno-Nyunya during the close of their weeklong conference at a Kilifi hotel.

“In Kenya, it is estimated that 464,690 induced abortions and 266 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions occurred in the year 2012, this indicates high maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion, all of which are preventable deaths,” said Prof Otieno-Nyunya in his presentation.

In Mathare slums, only 11.2 per cent of 78 and 347 women who participated in Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and questionnaire survey respectively reported that they knew of at least one facility where safe abortion services were provided, he said.

However, he noted that some respondents also said that they knew of 'other risky clinics’ where abortion was carried out with some giving responses such as;

“'There are many places in which one can abort all over Mathare, could be in the clinics on the streets and midwifes can also help one to abort’,” the Prof said.

He added that the cost for abortion was reported to be high by 59.1 per cent of the respondents hence the reason why most women opted for the unsafe abortion.

Out of the 40 healthcare providers in the area, only 17.5 per cent reported that they are providing safe abortion in their premises while about 42.5 per cent said that they could be assisted to improve the services through training, provision of equipment, supplies and support in upgrading the premises, he added.

The study constituted 13 villages namely Mashimoni, village 10, Mabatini, village 2, Kosovo, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, Gitathuru, Kiamutisya and Kwakariuki.

His remarks also came after Kisumu Medical and Education Trust (Kmet) executive director and former Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) gynaecology ward health worker Monica Ogutu said cases of unsafe abortions are still high with at least 40 per cent of bed occupancy in the ward by women who were in that practice.

Most men were also not supportive of the use of family planning services by their women making conception unbearable for some of them who resort to unsafe abortion, she said.

According to Article 26 sub section four of the constitution, abortion is not permitted unless in the opinion of a trained health professional, need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger or if permitted by any other written law.