Willingness and associated factors of comprehensive abortion services provision by health care professionals in selected public health facilities of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Globally, abortion-related maternal deaths significantly decreased, but the opposite was true for Sub-Saharan Africa, where there was a significant increment in abortion-related maternal deaths. Health care providers are in constant conflict with the legalization of abortion, for viewing induced abortion as immoral. Objective: To assess the willingness and associated factors of comprehensive abortion care among health care professionals in Public health facilities of Bole Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2021. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was undertaken among 367 health care professionals from April 1 to August 30, 2021. Willingness was measured as willing and not willing, as well as the level of agreement to provide abortion care under justifiable conditions. The data were collected by a structured and pretested self-administered questionnaire. Binary (bivariate and multivariate) logistics regression was used for the identification of predictors of willingness with its respective 95% CI and a P-value of <0.05 statistically significant levels. The finding was presented in texts and tables. Findings: A total of 367 study participants were involved in the study giving a response rate of 100%. The overall level of willingness was 42.3% (95% CI: 37.25%–47.35%). Being male [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.987, 95% CI: 1.111–3.551, P<0.05], having a lower weekly religious attendance (AOR: 2.88; 95% CI: 1.687–4.930, P<0.001), and perceiving unsafe abortion as a health problem (AOR: 6.15; 95% CI: 3.79–9.97; P<0.05) were predictors associated with an increased level of willingness. Conclusions and Recommendations: A low level of willingness to provide comprehensive abortion was observed in the study. Being male, having a lower religious attendance, and having the perception that unsafe abortion is a health problem were predictors associated with an increased level of willingness to provide comprehensive abortion care. Stakeholders, government, and policymakers were recommended to work on the identified predictors of willingness in the study settings.