MAPnet network expands access to medical abortion in India
May 8, 2008
Despite relatively progressive abortion laws, safe, effective abortion services are out of reach for millions of women in India. Services are unavailable in many areas, especially in rural regions, and many facilities face shortages of supplies and staff. Additionally, many women are unaware that abortion services are available or even legal. As a result, close to 18,000 women die from unsafe abortion every year, and many more are injured, demonstrating a compelling need for solutions. Expanding women’s access to medical abortion in India may be one of them.
MAPnet, an Ipas-sponsored physician network in India’s Maharashtra state, may provide an answer to expanding the availability of medical abortion in the world’s second-most populous country. MAPnet provides doctors with technical training about medical abortion, training about how to inform women about medical abortion and a supported network to communicate and share experiences with other doctors. “Progress and prospects of MAPnet,” a new study examining the progress and effectiveness of MAPnet, was recently published.
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