According to
the World Health Organization (WHO), abortion accounts for 8%
[4.7-13.2] of maternal mortality worldwide. However, capturing
accurate information on abortion is a challenge especially in
settings where abortion is legally restricted. In 2010, the WHO
Multi-Country survey (MCS) on Maternal and Newborn Health collected
data on over 300,000 women who were admitted in health facilities to
receive pregnancy related care across 29 countries. Concerning
abortion, the MCS only collected data on women with severe maternal
outcomes (i.e. near miss or maternal deaths). The MCS abortion
related data suggests underreporting of the abortion related
morbidity and mortality and emphasizes the need for providing
evidence-based abortion services, which is in line with recent
literature.
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In light of these findings, we are undertaking a multi-country survey building on the experiences of the prior MCS to better capture the burden and severity of abortion-related complications and management among women presenting to the facilities. We will be capturing data on both sponataneous and induced abortion. In addition, we will explore the abortion safety according to the WHO Safe Abortion guidelines (5) and experience of care as reported by women.
