How can innovation help increase access to self-managed medical abortion in sub-Saharan Africa?

Increasing access to safe abortion reduces maternal mortality and disability. However, currently, 45% of all abortions globally are unsafe and are a catastrophic public health problem, accounting for up to 13% of preventable maternal deaths worldwide and causing hundreds of thousands of survivors to live with preventable long-term complications.

The World Health Organization states that in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, a medical abortion can safely be self-managed by the pregnant person outside of a health care facility (e.g., at home), in whole or in part, and with access to quality medicines, accurate information and the support from a trained health worker (if needed).

At Women Deliver 2023 in Kigali, sexual and reproductive health experts discussed the opportunities and considerations required to strengthen increasing access to self-managed medical abortion (SMMA) in sub-Saharan Africa in a session co-hosted by us with The International Federation of Gynecology and Ibstetrics (FIGO), the Mama Network, Grand Challenges Canada, the Hewlett Foundation and MSI Reproductive Choices. This blog, published on the FIGO website, shares insights that emerged from this discussion.

Click here to read the full article.