Leveraging Private Sector to Reduce Unsafe Abortions

Dr Munyaradzi Murwira Due to the restrictive abortion laws in Zimbabwe, both medical and non-medical individuals clandestinely perform most of the abortions. Legal and administrative barriers coupled with stigma among both women and health service providers, and fear of social repercussions as well as risking imprisonment are barriers to access legal abortion in Zimbabwe. The legal termination of pregnancy is performed only in public health facilities at district, provincial and central hospitals, after authorisation from the magistrate. Rather than reduce abortion incidence, the restrictive abortion laws result in women pursuing…

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