Source: All Africa
As a result of this new study, there is a dire need for Federal Government to improve access to modern methods of contraceptives. The study carried out by Dr. Akinrinola Bankole, Prof. Isaac Adewole, our new Minister for Health, Rubina Hussain, Dr. Olutosin Awolude, Susheela Singh, Joshua Akinyemi and others, has shown that over 1.25million induced abortions were performed in Nigeria in 2012.
With 41 million women of reproductive age in Nigeria and six of every 10 women living in rural areas, it was discovered that about 1 in 7 women of reproductive age have an unmet need for family planning and 1 in 10 births is mis-timed or unwanted. According to the study, unsafe abortion complications are a major contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality.
Thus, it is high time we stop playing Ostrich game with abortion law and other women rights issues. Despite legal restrictions, abortion is still very common in Nigeria. It will be worthy to know that abortion is illegal in Nigeria except when performed to save a woman's life. As a result of this, many abortions are unsafe because most are performed clandestinely or by relatunskilled providers with many women experiencing complications from unsafe abortions.
Though abortion is common in all six geopolitical zones, southsouth geopolitical zone has the highest abortion rate while southwest has the lowest. Also, it was agreed upon that there is need to promote high quality family planning programs, counseling on a wide range of contraceptive options and ability to easily switch family planning methods when needed.
The first national study to examine the incidence of abortion estimated that in 1996, about 610,000 abortions, or 25 per 1,000 women aged 15–44, occurred in Nigeria Unsafe abortion complications may have serious consequences because about 40% of women who have abortions in Nigeria experience complications serious enough to require treatment with complications ranging in severity; pain, hemorrhage, Sepsis and shock.
It must be noted that PAC constitute a huge financial burden to individuals and governments too. Speaking on: "Abortion incidence in Nigeria: Policy Recommendations", Senior Policy Advisor/Country Head of Ipas, Hauwa Shekarau said that the legal restrictions do not reduce the number of abortions; restrictions just make abortion less safe.
She called for a review of restrictive abortion laws in accordance with the standards established by the African Women's Rights Protocol. At the presentation of study findings on incidence of abortion and unintended pregnancy in Nigeria in Abuja recently, government at all levels were urged to expand Post Abortion Care, PAC, services as well as provide modern and less-invasive methods of PAC like Manual Vacuum Aspiration, MVA, and Misoprostol.
"Develop guidelines at all levels of the health system to ensure that women can access modern methods of contraception and comprehensive abortion care to the full extent of the law."