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| A new study has found that legal abortion is being safely provided in sites around Nepal. |
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Following the legalization of abortion in Nepal in 2002, abortion services have been provided safely at both government and private facilities throughout the country, according to a new study released Thursday by Ipas. An exploratory study of complications from comprehensive abortion care is the first nationwide examination of complications arising from abortion care since legal services became available in 2004.
The overall rate of complications was less than 2 percent, mostly of low to moderate severity, similar to that found in a study in India.
“This study shows the benefit of public-private partnerships for increasing access to safe abortion services,” said Indira Basnett, director of Ipas Nepal. “Expanded service sites, good provider training and adherence to practice protocols are improving care for women."
The Nepal Ministry of Health began providing comprehensive abortion care in 2004, two years after abortion was legalized in the country. Between 2004 and 2007, 176 government, non-governmental organization (NGO) and private service sites were established throughout the country, giving women unprecedented access to safe abortion services.
The Ipas study was initiated in order to document complications arising from comprehensive abortion care to improve quality of services. During the three-month study period, researchers tracked 7,007 women who received abortion care at public, private and NGO clinics. More than three-fourths of patients were seen at Marie Stopes International/Sunaulo Parivar Nepal (MSI /SPN) clinics, followed by government sites, Family Planning Association of Nepal sites and private clinics.
In addition to the low complication rate, the study revealed that women receiving care at MSI/SPN clinics were significantly less likely to have complications than women receiving abortion services from all other types of clinics — one percent at MSI/SPN clinics compared to 5.6 percent elsewhere.
Investigators noted the importance of good follow-up with clients to identify and reduce complications. The use of mobile phones contributed to the high (93 percent) follow-up rate during the study, and has potential for use in other areas of health. As a result of the study, a client complication monitoring system will be integrated into the government’s Health Management Information System to help trained providers better recognize and manage abortion-related complications as they arise.
“Limited human and financial resources, shifting health personnel and challenging terrain impose barriers to routine follow-up,” said Basnett. “These tools will facilitate efforts to ensure a woman’s care is complete.”
The research was conducted as a cooperative project of the Family Health Division, Department of Health Services of the Ministry of Health and Population, the Population, Health and Development Group (a local research organization), the Technical Committee for the Implementation of Comprehensive Abortion Care and Ipas. Both the full report and the summary are available online.
For more information, contact:
- Dr. Indira Basnett, Country Director, Ipas Nepal/TCIC, basnetti@ipas.org (within Nepal)
- Sarah Stucke, Asia Program Associate, Ipas, stuckes@ipas.org (outside Nepal)
For more information, contact media@ipas.org