‘Unsafe Abortion Is Major Cause Of Deaths’

UNSAFE abortion accounts for between 20-30 percent of all pregnancy related deaths in Ghana.

This figure is far above the global burden of only 13 per cent and remains a big concern for policy makers.

Dr Abdul Dokurugu, Reproductive Health Management Specialist, disclosed this at a day's seminar for media practitioners in the Upper East region yesterday.

The seminar was organised by PATHFINDER, an international NGO to sensitise media persons on “Reducing The Burden of Unsafe Abortion.

He said some demographics and statistics indicate that in Ghana, teenage fertility is 10 per cent of total fertility.

As a result, most teenage pregnancies which are unwanted often end up in abortion most often unsafe and puts lives of teenagers at risk.

Dr Dokurugu pointed out that though abortion remains illegal in Ghana, 'SAFE' abortion could be carried out by specialists under certain circumstances.

These, he said, include where the pregnancy is as a result of rape, defilement of sick woman.

Abortion is also permissible when specialists conclude that retaining the pregnancy would put the life of the pregnant woman at risk or injury to her physical or mental health.

The strategies also include services to all couples and individuals as well as improving general knowledge on human sexuality especially among the adolescents who carry the heaviest risks of unsafe abortion.

Mr John Lazaami, Programmes Manager of Pathfinder International, said his organisation was concerned about the issue of unsafe abortions which was causing loss of lives of young girls and also increasing the number of school drop-outs.

According to him similar sensitisation seminars have so far been carried out in 10 districts in the Northern regions by trained Community Health nurses in the three Northern Regions.