Press Release - Complications following unsafe abortions are up to seven times more severe in fragile or conflict-affected settings: these are the findings of one of the very first studies on the subject, carried out in two referral hospitals in Bangui in the Central African Republic and Jigawa State in northern Nigeria. Behind the statistics, real stories of real women - and a universal vulnerability.
Complications following unsafe abortions are up to seven times more severe in fragile or conflict-affected settings: these are the findings of one of the very first studies on the subject, carried out in two referral hospitals in Bangui in the Central African Republic and Jigawa State in northern Nigeria. Behind the statistics, real stories of real women - and a universal vulnerability.
The AMoCo** study, conducted by Médecins Sans Frontières , Épicentre, Institut Guttmacher and Ipas, in partnership with the Nigerian and Central African Ministries of Health, shows that severe complications were five to seven times more frequent in the two referral hospitals studied than in African hospitals in the more stable settings studied by the World Health Organisation using a similar methodology.
In the Bangui hospital in which the AMoCo study was conducted, admissions for abortion-related complications accounted for 20 per cent of all pregnancy-related admissions during the period studied, which corroborates these results. More than two-thirds occurred during the first trimester of pregnancy. More than a quarter of the women were adolescents aged 18 and under.
When the partner is informed of the pregnancy, he or she is often involved in the decision-making process and choice of abortion method. Spouses who abandon their partners often leave them with no choice but to have an abortion. Tracy* is a 19-year-old woman who was admitted to Bangui referral hospital with potentially life-threatening abortion-related complications.
"When I spoke to him about the pregnancy, he didn't reply. One day, I told him that I wasn't feeling well, and he started shouting at me, saying that he wasn't responsible for the pregnancy," says Magda. "I didn't have anyone to go with me, and what's more I didn't have the time. I leave for work at seven in the morning and I get home at 11 o'clock at night. I don't have time to pick up the pill ... I [simply] don't have the time," says a 32-year-old woman admitted to Bangui referral hospital with potentially life-threatening abortion-related complications.
In other cases, women simply want to keep their abortion secret, such as Dominique*, a 21-year-old woman admitted to Bangui referral hospital with near-miss abortion-related complications...
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
African central banks set to hold rates as currency risks weighThe flurry of decisions from the monetary authorities will likely see South Africa, Egypt, Morocco and Ghana keep rates steady.
Read more »
Africa: Japan and WFP Unite to Deliver Vital Food Assistance to Crisis-Hit People in Cameroon and Central African RepublicThe United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of USD $3.3 million (equivalent to 450 million Japanese Yen, or approximately 2 billion XAF) from the Government of Japan. This funding will be used to provide integrated food and nutrition assistance to people severely affected by ongoing crisis in Cameroon and Central African Republic. In Cameroon, where conflict and displacement have led to a significant deterioration in food security, WFP will use a contribution of USD $1.4 million
Read more »
Africa: Cameroon, CAR Blame Rebels for KidnappingsGovernment officials in Cameroon and the Central African Republic say the number of civilian kidnappings has spiked along their borders, with armed gangs and rebels demanding as much as $50,000 in ransom.
Read more »
Central Africa: CAR Grapples With Sudan Refugee Crisis, UN Chief Appeals for Int'l AidThe United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Central African Republic, Mohamed Ayweya, urged the international community not to abandon nations facing mounting global and regional crises. Speaking at a press conference in the Geneva UN HQ on Wednesday, he emphasised this point, citing the recent influx of approximately 70,000 individuals from Sudan into Central Africa overnight, which has compounded the nation's existing humanitarian challenges.
Read more »
Arsenal 'Make' African Star Priority For January WindowArsenal have reportedly made it an African star one of their priority signings for the next transfer window.
Read more »
South African township resists police over illegal power cablesA woman in a black and white dress struggled, pulling fiercely on a long electrical cable as she tried to stop the police in anti-riot gear from carrying it away. - Power for oxygen - But Marina, a local woman who gave only her first name, said some elderly people needed the electricity to power oxygen tanks.
Read more »