AU commissioner: Unsafe abortion a leading risk factor for death in many countries

Janet Sallah-Njie, a commissioner at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, says unsafe abortion is among the leading cause of death for women in many parts of the continent.

Sallah-Njie spoke on Tuesday during the 20th anniversary of the Maputo Protocol organised by ODAS Mouvement and other sexual and reproductive health partners at the Women Deliver conference in Rwanda.

The Maputo Protocol is a legally binding instrument on women’s and human rights in Africa with a signatory of 44 member African states.

The anniversary was held to reflect on Article 14 of the protocol which promotes and protects women’s health and reproductive rights.

Sallah-Njie described the section of the protocol as “radical and revolutionary because, for the very first time, we have a legally binding instrument that speaks to issues that you don’t find in other instruments – issues relating to sexual and reproductive health rights to be precise, abortion, sexual violence, female genital mutilation, all issues that concern us as Africans”.

“On the issue of safe abortion, we know that there is a lot of stigma around the subject and we’re happy that the protocol addresses that and recognises that these are not social issues but rights that women are entitled to,” she added.

The AU commissioner noted that the main concern on the issue of abortion for human rights advocates is that barriers have forced the practice to be unsafe, costing thousands of women their lives.

“When it comes to abortion, the main concern is unsafe abortion and the fact that it is conducted in a clandestine environment because the issue of criminalising the act sends it underground. People will still do what they need to do,” Sallah-Njie said.

“It has been posited that in the least developed countries, unsafe abortion is the second leading risk factor for death and disability for women as compared to developed countries. In developed countries, 6 out of 10 pregnancies are unintended and 35 percent are unsafe abortions and almost all in least developed countries.

“In the developed world, 30 women die for every 1000 unsafe abortions, the number rises to 220 per 1000 in least developed countries.”

The commissioner said the lack of skill sets in facilities, misconceptions about the suitability of contraceptives, enforcement of laws that create barriers to reproductive health services, and socio-cultural barriers have impeded access to quality health services for women.

She called on government agencies and concerned organisations to stick to the guidelines of the Maputo Protocol and intensify efforts to create a safer space for girls and women.