A researched body called Performance Monitoring Accountability (PAC) in collaboration with the Nasarawa state Ministry of Health weekend advised government at all levels on the burden of unsafe abortion- related maternal deaths and injuries on women.
Nasarawa state director, Public Health, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Alhassan, gave the advice in Lafia, Saturday, at a one- day seminar on abortion survey dissemination to mitigate the rate of abortion.
He said in Nasarawa state, 51.3% of abortions done annually are unsafe, which may result to complications and death.
Dr. Alhassan said women are often not aware of the legal indications for safe abortion in their state, or the availability of Post Abortion Care (PAC) for treatment of complications, and called for improved availability of information on sex and reproductive health services in the state.
“This can also be achieved through provider training and provision of necessary commodities like manual vacuum aspirator kits and mifepristone and misoprostol,” he said.
In its summary findings, Performance Monitoring Accountability (PAC) revealed that more than six out of 10 abortions in Nigeria are unsafe, involving non recommended methods from non clinical sources, with disadvantaged women most likely to have an unsafe abortion.
“More than half of women (56%) who reported an abortion have experienced a potential complication, with young, uneducated, poor, and rural women most likely to experience negative outcomes that require further treatment.
“Post Abortion Care (PAC) service availability is poor among primary care facilities, which serve the majority of the population, less than half of these facilities reported not providing any PAC services.”
The convener of the seminar, Mrs.Salome Vincent, who is also the state family planning coordinator, stated that the workshop was aimed at reducing unsafe abortions in Nasarawa state.
