Implementing new law, Nepali government begins offering safe abortion services

Dr. Sabitri Kishore, reproductive health training advisor to the Nepali government, and Mary Luke, Ipas Executive Vice President for Programs, in the procedure room at Nepal's first government-run abortion clinic.

There was no fanfare and no ribbon-cutting, but the opening of Nepal’s first government-run abortion clinic on March 16^th was historic nonetheless. For the first time, Nepali women living in or near the capital city of Kathmandu had somewhere to go to obtain safe, affordable abortion.

The steady flow of clients seeking counseling and care at the Indra Rajya Laxmi Maternity Hospital – averaging 15 women a day, according to one senior staff member -- attests dramatically to the unmet need for high-quality comprehensive reproductive care in this mountain kingdom. Ipas has been the lead international nongovernmental organization working over the last several years with His Majesty King Gyanendra’s government to plan policies and programs to make safe abortion a reality.  

“It is incredibly gratifying to see our long-term collaboration in Nepal come to fruition,” said Mary Luke, Ipas’s Executive Vice President for Programs. “Unsafe abortion has taken a truly tragic toll in Nepal. The opening of this clinic signals very important progress in providing women access to a life-saving service. ”

Unsafe abortion is estimated to account for up to 30 percent of all pregnancy-related deaths of women in Nepal. Until late 2002, abortion was prohibited in all circumstances. Women risked not only their lives but also their liberty when they resorted to unsafe practitioners and methods to terminate unwanted pregnancies. Nepal was one of the few countries in the world where women were imprisoned on charges -- often trumped up – of abortion. Despite the risks, experts estimate that as many as 57,000 unsafe abortions occur every year.

In recognition of the impact of unsafe abortion, in March 2002 lawmakers approved an amendment to the country’s criminal code which, among other measures, legalized abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy for any reason and up to 18 weeks in cases of rape, incest, fetal impairment and risk to the woman’s life.

Ipas and other organizations – notably Options-UK; the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD); the Center for Reproductive Rights; the Center for Research on Environment, Health and Population Activities (CREHPA); and the Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN) – have supported efforts leading to both liberalization and implementation of the law. Ipas has been especially active in helping the government develop standards and guidelines for abortion care and a detailed plan and curriculum for training health-care practitioners in safe abortion, and in financing the renovation, equipping and start-up of the new Kathmandu clinic.

Government officials have announced plans to extend safe abortion services to rural areas in the next few month. Ipas will continue to play a key technical support role to ensure the quality of training and services. A public-education campaign to inform women about their legal right to abortion and where safe services are available is also underway.

Meanwhile, 31 women remain imprisoned on abortion charges, according to women’s health and rights advocates, who have already succeeded in winning the release of 28 women. Ipas continues to support efforts to release the additional prisoners, including publicizing their stories.

For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258