Unsafe abortions cost Kenya millions of shillings

A study by the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) found that Kenya used more than Sh500 million tackling unsafe abortion cases, between 2012 and 2016.

The Daily Nation reveals that according to a report titled ‘The Costs of Treating Unsafe Abortion Complications in Public Health Facilities in Kenya’, this is actually an increase of about 24 percent compared to Sh433 million in 2012.

The report shows that an estimated 464,690 abortions take place annually- a number comprising only the cases reported in the public healthcare system. It also reveals that an estimated 2,600 women die from unsafe abortions annually, meaning seven deaths a day, and many of the victims are aged between 10 and 24 years.

According to the Daily Nation, some of the factors contributing to unsafe abortions include unintended teen pregnancies and lack of awareness of, and access to, contraceptives and reproductive health services.

Society also generally seems not to have fully understood the legal provisions governing safe abortions. As such, many women risk unsafe abortions as a result of the social stigma surrounding abortion.