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Health sector stakeholders have expressed concern about the rate of unsafe abortions in Nigeria, where around 610,000 unsafe abortions are performed annually.
The revelation was made during the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Summit 1.0 held in Abuja to commemorate World Contraceptive Day 2024.
Organized by the Media, Health and Rights Initiative of Nigeria (MHRIN), the summit was themed ‘Choice for All: Freedom to Plan, Power to Choose’. The event brought together medical experts, policy makers and advocates to highlight the alarming number of unsafe abortions in Nigeria and the urgent need to improve access to contraceptives as a solution to unplanned pregnancies and maternal deaths. We talked about sex.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Lucky Palmer, Country Director, IPA Nigeria Health Foundation, emphasized the importance of empowering Nigerian women to make their own reproductive choices. She highlighted the many challenges women face when expressing themselves, especially in medical settings.
Palmer shared the example of a deaf woman who had to rely on her son to diagnose sexually transmitted infections, highlighting the embarrassments and barriers women face due to disability, financial constraints, or social pressure. . He noted that unplanned pregnancies are preventable, stressing that Nigeria, which accounts for 28% of global maternal deaths, needs to ensure contraceptives are freely available.
“Contraceptives should be available to all women, including young women and single women, not just married women,” Palmer said. He explained that unlike other animals, who have sex only for reproduction, humans also seek pleasure, so the use of contraception is essential to prevent unnecessary deaths.
Mr. Palmer cited alarming statistics. There are 610,000 unsafe abortions performed in Nigeria each year, resulting in 285,000 complications and 20,000 deaths, half of these deaths in adolescent girls. These unsafe abortions contribute significantly to Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate of 1,500 per 100,000 live births, one of the highest in the world, Palmer added.
“Only 16 percent of Nigerian women of reproductive age use any form of contraception, and even fewer use modern methods,” Palmer revealed. He added that 28 per cent of pregnancies in Nigeria are unintended and almost half of them result in induced abortions, especially among less educated women and women from low-income areas. “Seventy-two percent of deaths among girls under 19 are due to complications from unsafe abortion,” he explained.
Despite legal restrictions, induced abortions are common in Nigeria, with an estimated 1.25 million procedures performed in 2012. Mr. Palmer drew attention to the fact that although Nigeria has ratified the Maputo Protocol, abortion remains legal only to save a woman’s life and the life of the country. Contraceptive prevalence remains extremely low at 16% in 2023.
Dr. Ufuoma Omoobi, MHR Executive Director, stressed the importance of ensuring access to health care, especially for pregnant women, to combat Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate. He emphasized the need for a unified effort to address maternal mortality through improved access to contraceptives.
“Nigerian women should not hesitate to participate in discussions about safe contraceptive methods and address the challenges associated with them,” Omoobi said. He stressed that all women have the right to choose, but restrictive abortion laws adopted by only five states in Nigeria limit these rights.
Mr. Omoobi acknowledged recent progress under the current government, which has committed $4 million to SRHR efforts, in addition to a $6 million contribution from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). He urged more states to adopt frameworks that promote safe reproductive health practices, saying this could significantly reduce Nigeria’s maternal mortality crisis.
Professor Rosemary Ogu, National President of the Women Medical Association of Nigeria (MWAN), called on Nigeria’s three-tier government to increase funding for public health services, including contraceptives, to make pregnancy safer for women across the country. I asked him to make it a thing. She emphasized the importance of giving Nigerian women the freedom to plan and make choices regarding their reproductive health.
Dr. Ejike-Oluji added that although maternal mortality rates have decreased by 40 percent in the past eight years, Nigeria still has the highest number of maternal deaths in the world. “Seventy percent of those who die from unsafe abortions are girls under 15,” Orji said. He noted that while the previous Health Minister withheld funding for three years, the new Minister has already released $4 million to support family planning efforts, ensuring that family planning is properly funded. He emphasized the importance of legislative measures to provide for the future.
Mr. Barr, head of the Federal Ministry of Health’s health promotion department, said: Ogbonna Nmma said the government is working towards expanding access to safe abortion. Nma said discussions were ongoing among relevant ministries and agencies (MDAs) to amend the provisions of the Criminal Code related to abortion to ensure safer healthcare options for women and adolescents in Nigeria.
Nma added that the ministry aims to reduce maternal deaths across the country and is keen to educate the public on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The Executive Director, Ogun State Primary Health Care Authority, Dr. Elijah Olusola, lamented that 20 per cent to 30 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria are a result of unsafe abortion, especially among adolescents and young people. He also pointed to the lack of routine data on abortion and called for a review of Nigeria’s abortion laws to better reflect the reality of the dangerous practice.
Dr. Lilian Anomnaci, Country Director of TAConnect, emphasized that the organization is focused on improving reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) interventions. TAConnect makes sexual and reproductive health a priority and aims to reduce risks for mothers and infants through education about contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and family planning services.
“Our collective efforts are critical to shaping improved SRHR outcomes for women and girls in Nigeria,” Anomnaci said. She added that expanding access to contraception will help women make informed reproductive choices and help reduce the prevalence of unsafe abortions.
SRHR Summit 1.0 concluded with a joint call for urgent action to improve access to contraceptives and family planning education, especially in rural and underserved communities. Stakeholders emphasized the need to curb the high rate of unsafe abortions and reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria by making contraception more accessible and educating women about reproductive health options.
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