With a few exceptions, access to abortion is almost completely prohibited in most African countries. However, restrictive laws do not prevent the voluntary termination of pregnancy, which is practiced in secret under extremely dangerous conditions.
Benin is the last country in Africa to have made abortion legal. The law was amended at the end of 2021 to put an end to clandestine abortions. At least 200 women died each year in this West African country due to complications arising from clandestine interventions, outside any medical framework. And these risky practices are very common on the continent, according to estimates by the Guttmacher Institute, which published the first comprehensive study on the issue in December 2020.
“In sub-Saharan Africa, more than three quarters of abortions are unsafe, which means that they are performed by an unqualified person or by an unrecommended method, or both.”
Guttmacher Institute studypublished in December 2020.
The report, which covers the period from 2015 to 2019, notably highlights that sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of abortion-related deaths in the world. These are again estimates since the data are not reliable, especially since these acts are carried out clandestinely. We learn, without much surprise, that women or girls who have recourse to abortion have never wanted to become pregnant. These unwanted pregnancies can only be terminated within an illegal framework, since the overwhelming majority of African countries prohibit abortion for often religious reasons.
“6.2 million unsafe abortions take place each year in the region. The consequences are serious for women, families and health systems.”
Guttmacher Institute studypublished in December 2020
Even in the few countries in the region that allow abortion, access to safe and legal services is often limited, the study points out. These include poor law enforcement, religious and social stigma, and a lack of health care resources and trained personnel.
Unsafe abortion remains the norm and is one of the leading causes of maternal death in Africa. In most countries, access to safe abortion remains very limited and accessible only in the event of danger to the mother’s life. In other nations, abortion remains totally prohibited, such as in Madagascar, Mauritania or Egypt. In all, less than ten countries allow abortion without strict restrictions, taking into account socio-economic reasons.