Malawi study reveals 141,044 abortions: Northern Region has more cases

A research study has revealed that 141,044 women had an abortion in 2015 at an annual rate of 38 abortions per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 49, clearly indicating how common abortion is in Malawi despite having restrictive laws.

Fannie Kachale: Commended the researchers
Dr Charles Mhango, senior lecture at College of Medicine unveiled the findings

60 percent of the abortions resulted in complications that required medical treatment while 40 percent did not require medical treatment, the research study findings revealed.

The research conducted by USA-based Guttmacher Institute and Centre for Reproductive Health at the College of Medicine of the University of Malawi (Unima), further indicated abortion situation is worsening with time despite that contraceptive usage has increased in the country.

In 2009, abortion figures were 67,000 and five years later the figures have doubled amidst debate on whether the country should liberalize abortion laws by expanding the criteria under which an abortion can legally be obtained.

The research findings were made public on Thursday in Blantyre and health experts have since called for an action by the authorities if the situation is to be controlled. They were presented by Senior Lecturer at College of Medicine Dr. Chisale Mhango and Senior Research Assistant at Guttmacher Institute, Dr. Chelsea Polis.

According to the research which was done using Abortion Incidence Complications Methodology, an estimated 8861,161 unintended pregnancies occurred in 2015 comprising of 609,177 births, 135,940 miscarriages and 141,044 abortions.

This translates to an overall pregnancy rate of 238 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged between15-49 nationally. The unintended pregnancy rate was 126 per 1,000 women aged 15-49 with northern region registered more cases than the other two regions.

“Overall, 53 percent of pregnancies in Malawi were unintended, and of all unintended pregnancies, 30 percent ended in abortion. Among all pregnancies in Malawi, an estimated 16 percent ended in abortion, 15 percent in miscarriage, 30 percent in unintended birth, and 39 percent in intended birth,” the research findings indicate.

The northern region registered 61 percent of the abortion cases, southern region 39 percent and central region 29 percent. The research study also revealed that central region had highest intake of induced abortion post-care treatment at 39.2 percent, southern region 37.2 percent and northern region 23.6 percent.

Mhango said “Restrictive abortion laws do not stop abortions from occurring, they just drive it underground forcing women to resort to clandestine procedures which are often unsafe,” said Dr. Mhango.

“Every law has good reason for it. Abortion law is designed to prevent women from dying from unsafe abortions by discouraging them from having abortion. Unfortunately the law is not working; it has not discouraged women to have unsafe abortion. They continue to have unsafe abortion.”

He said there was a need for the country to emulate other countries that have managed to amend their laws to ensure women do not die from unsafe abortions and have access to improved post-care treatment.

“We in the medical profession our responsibility is to eliminate unnecessary deaths. And death from abortion is unnecessary, it can be prevented and other countries have prevented it. All we have to do is not to reinvent the wheel but to do what our colleagues have done to prevent it by providing more options for women not to resort to induced abortion,” he added.

Dr. Chelsea Polis said: “Helping Malawian women avoid unintended pregnancy is critical to reducing the incidence of abortion and the complications and deaths that often follow unsafe, clandestine procedures. Our study found that in 2015, more than half of all pregnancies in Malawi were unintended, and almost one-third of those unintended pregnancies ended in abortion.”

The researchers have since recommended the strengthening of Malawi’s family planning programs to ensure that all Malawians can use their preferred contraceptive methods correctly and consistently to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and therefore reduce the need for abortion.

They also noted the importance of continuing to expand post-abortion care services so that every woman who experiences complications from an unsafe abortion can get the care she needs.

The research study was funded by UK Government, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Restrictive abortion laws and policies have been forcing woman and girls to seek unsafe abortion services from untrained people with the country spending about US$300,000-US$500,000 annually to treat complications of unsafe abortion.

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C4
C4
6 years ago

it is clear hear that abortion is not the main problem but it is an effect of unintended pregnancy which is the major problem. so legalizing abortion will not solve anything but preventing the unintended pregnancy through long term family planning methods. this is not a question of religion but common sense. legalizing abortion based on this info is like treating vomiting only in someone suffering from malaria and not giving any antimalarials

Zadaga
Zadaga
6 years ago

Let abortion be legalized. We are are not ruled by religion in this country. Some of us do not believe in your so called religions. It is a matter of choice. Let the abortion legalization law pass and every one should be free. Religions should be in the church or mosque and should not affect every Malawian because not every one believes. Malawi is not a church or mosque.

Cilla
Cilla
6 years ago
Reply to  Zadaga

That’s my argument exactly. Not all of us are religious and it is more costly and risky to make abortion illegal than legal. Lives of females are at risk when they abort illegally. So just legalize abortion!

Owonelera
Owonelera
6 years ago

Who will speak for the unborn child? Life begins at conception. NO TO ABORTION!!

Malawian Thinker
Malawian Thinker
6 years ago

Let women make their own decisions about their bodies. Most of these “holy pretenders” saying no to abortion are men who don’t know what it’s like to be pregnant. Besides, we already have a lot of homeless uncared-for kids roaming the streets. Africans kugona too much.

Fuvung'ondo
Fuvung'ondo
6 years ago

May be it is not the Tumbukas as such in the north who are aborting. A Yao ndi a Lomwe kubeleka muma estate umu ………..eeeeiiiiiiish.

Bambo ateleza
Bambo ateleza
6 years ago

amenewo ndi achewa amachoka kuno nkumakasintha mayina akapita ku mpoto…ndi akuMulanje amenewo

Bambo ateleza
Bambo ateleza
6 years ago

The researchers were doing research on chickens not people

chilombo
chilombo
6 years ago

Atumbuka kukonda ma plain ndi uhule.FACT

Odala
Odala
6 years ago
Reply to  chilombo

Address the real issues and not regionalism. Abortion must be ligalised for those in need. Those who think they are too religious let them die. Aziuzirana ku mipingo kwaoko kuti no to abortion!

Vinjeru
6 years ago

Amenewo ndiye akazi achitumbukawo. Akamaliza kupha ana through abortion, they go and kill their husbands. Ati chuma azidya okha eish.

ya_smooth DJ
ya_smooth DJ
6 years ago

Why am i not surprised? Northern region they don’t use contraceptives. There is a misconception about contraceptives. They still have primitive mind set.

MASTER
MASTER
6 years ago
Reply to  ya_smooth DJ

They are less populated than south and center, on average there is less poverty there than in south and center due to huge populations in these two regions, they have the largest middle class society or highest human development index in Malawi so what u are saying is terribele

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