A Million Voices: The Future We Want for Africa

The undersigned concerned SADC citizens and residents, call on all AU Member States and their present and future governments, to provide for an environment for safe, legal, affordable and effective access to abortion services for all women.

 According to a report by the Guttmacher Institute (2017), an estimated 8.2 million induced abortions occurred each year in Africa between the years 2010 and 2014 compared to 4.6 million in the 1990 to 1994 period. By 2017 at least 58 million women were reported to have an unmet need for family planning (meaning they wanted to prevent a pregnancy but were unable to do so) resulting in 21.6 million unintended pregnancies among women aged 15-44 years.

 At least 15% of all pregnancies in the region end up in an abortion with rates among married women at 26 per 1000 while unmarried women are 36 per 1000. The majority of these women are economically disadvantaged and are unable to afford, and access safe and legal abortion services due to restrictions within the social, legal and policy environment.  Even in countries where abortion is permitted under liberal abortion laws, limitations related to lack of information on the availability of safe and legal abortions services, and the attitude of health service providers still exist and results in a few women accessing safe and legal abortion services.

 As a result of these restrictions women continue to access abortion services from untrained personnel, and under unhygienic conditions resulting in deaths and severe lifelong complications. In 2012, 1.6 million women were treated for severe abortion related complications per year in Africa, while 9% of maternal deaths were related to unsafe abortions. Southern Africa contributes 24% of the pregnancies that end in abortion.

 Evidence indicates that induced abortions conducted under medically safe and legal conditions presents few if any complications. Unfortunately, 93% of women in Africa live in countries with abortion restrictive laws. At least 10 out of the 54 countries in Africa do not allow abortion at all for whatever reason. Treating complications of unsafe abortion is an economic burden on the already resource constrained African countries, the affected woman and their families. For example, Zambia was reported to be losing an average of US$2.4 million per year to post abortion care services for treating adolescent girls and women after unsafe abortion.

 Any case of unsafe abortion subjects women to unbearable physical, emotional, and psychological pain and suffering, as well as inexplicable risks and consequences. Therefore, as law abiding citizens, concerned with the lives and future of women and girls in Africa, we unreservedly call upon African governments to STOP these avoidable and unnecessary deaths of women by doing the following.

1.    Remove restrictions including legal towards accessing safe and legal abortion services for women;

2.    Close the gap on unmet need for family planning by providing comprehensive sexuality education, and making available appropriate contraceptive commodities;

3.    Ensure that all service providers are trained not to moralise issues of SRH and stigmatise young  people seeking SRH services;

4.    Ensure the respect for the rights of women to make informed choices regarding their Bodies and Lives.

This is the FUTURE WE WANT! THIS IS THE AFRICA WE WANT!

 If you believe that your Government, your Member of Parliament and/or your Chief must develop laws and policies that give women their right to a healthier life, please sign this petition today and encourage your friends and families to sign too.……………..

 

 

For more information, contact:

SAfAIDS Regional Office

17 Beveridge Road, Avondale, Harare

Zimbabwe

Tel: 263 4 336 193-5

Website: www.safaids.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/safaids/

Twitter: @SAfAIDS

 

#EndUnsafeAbortion

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