IPAS Nigeria Partners AfA on Reducing Death and Injuries from Unsafe Abortion

AfA received support from IPAS Nigeria to implement a project in Imo state that addresses issues leading to unintended pregnancies resulting in women and girls engaging in unsafe abortion methods. Our cultural, religious and traditional inhibitions to women’s human rights to access sexual and reproductive health information were important in taking on the project.

The project outcome, “to reduce death and injuries from unsafe abortion, ” empowers women with adequate knowledge and information to make informed decisions about their bodies with all the support they can get.

AfA proposed the following strategies to actualise the outcome of the project;

• Establishing the Imo State Safe Space Circle (ISSPAC)
• Popularisation of the HERSPERIAN and EUKI safe abortion mobile applications existing in Imo State.
• Creating awareness and sensitisation programs on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• Increasing capacity of PPMVs and Peer educators

Activities carried out under the project are;

• a one-day session for young women on accurate information on medical abortion and promoting family planning to minimise death from unsafe abortion;
• a one-day focus group discussion on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights with Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs);
• a three-day residential training for private medicine vendors;
• a two-day residential capacity building training for peer educators on sexual and reproductive health and rights, accurate information about medical safe abortion and promoting family planning to minimise death from unsafe abortion.