Call for reduction of unsafe abortions

Accra, 14th Aug. 1999

Unsafe abortion, which is a major public health problem, is responsible for nearly 80,000 deaths annually throughout the world.

Major Regina Akai Nettey, a Programme Officer of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), who disclosed this n on Saturday, called on family planning providers to play a role in reducing the need for abortions by meeting the needs of high- risk groups such as adolescents.

She said the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that as many as 20 million unsafe abortions take place each year.

"It is one of the five leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity, contributing to hundreds of thousands of disabilities each year," she added.

Major Akai Nettey was addressing a seminar organised by the association for its staff and volunteers to sensitise them on a major policy change within the PPAG. This involves moving away from providing family planning to sexual reproductive services among the youth.

The PPAG is among three other service providers chosen in Africa by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) to pilot a programme on sexual reproductive health services to out-of-school youth between the ages of 10 and 25.

Other countries selected are Tanzania and Ethiopia. IPPF is the largest non-governmental organisation in the world responsible for family planning issues.

The pilot programme follows the federation's decision in 1992 to shift from its primary role of just providing family planning services to focusing on the relationship between population, development and the environment.

Major Akai Nettey said emergency treatment of abortion complications consumes a significant portion of scarce hospital resources in many developing countries.

"WHO estimates that the cost of treating a septic abortion is often three or more times that of normal delivery."

She listed some of the dangerous methods used by women and untrained providers to terminate pregnancy as inserting foreign objects, such as sticks, wires and knitting needles into the uterus, a practice, she noted, that could puncture the uterus or cause other injuries and infection.

Mr Justice George Acquah, President of the PPAG, said by 2002 the association would have shifted primarily to providing out-of-school-youths with friendly and gender sensitive programmes.

Among some of the areas to be tackled are providing services to check gender-based violence, harmful traditional practices and promoting healthy relations between couples and partners by encouraging them to talk freely about their sexual relationships.