Abstract
It is commonly claimed that thousands of women die every year from unsafe abortion in Malawi. This commentary critically assesses those claims, demonstrating that these estimates are not supported by the evidence. On the contrary, the latest evidence—itself from 15 to 20 years ago—suggests that 6–7% of maternal deaths in Malawi are attributable to induced and spontaneous abortion combined, totalling approximately 70–150 deaths per year. I then offer some evidence suggesting that a substantial proportion of these are attributable to spontaneous abortion. To reduce maternal mortality by large margins, emergency obstetric care should be prioritised, which will also save women from complications of induced and spontaneous abortion.
Highlights
It is commonly claimed that extremely large numbers of women die from illegal induced abortion in Malawi each year, and that these illegal, unsafe abortions would be converted to safe abortions upon legalisation, lowering the maternal mortality ratio
The most common estimate for mortality from abortive outcomes combined is the claim that 6–18% of maternal deaths in Malawi are attributable to abortion [9], some organisations using the upper bound of this estimate [10], and the figure often being misrepresented as referring only to illegal induced abortions
The small number of women who do die from illegal abortion in Malawi is still important, as these are women with dignity and worth whose deaths are tragedies
Summary
It is commonly claimed that extremely large numbers of women die from illegal induced abortion in Malawi each year, and that these illegal, unsafe abortions would be converted to safe abortions upon legalisation, lowering the maternal mortality ratio. Given the central role that claims about women dying from unsafe abortion play in the abortion debate in Malawi and around the world, it is critically important that both sides have a clear understanding of the existing research on this question rather than relying on outdated or misleading figures, or exaggerated claims in the media These figures are often misleading because deaths from ‘abortion’ standardly include deaths from induced and spontaneous abortion combined, without distinguishing the two. Public Health 2021, 18, 10506 the most recent estimates for maternal deaths attributable to induced abortion and spontaneous abortion combined, before offering some comments on the distinction and identification of illegal induced abortions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
