Developing Economies and the IMPACT of Induced and Unsafe Abortion -a Review

INTRODUCTION: Unsafe abortion is a major threat to female reproductive health especially in developing countries. With the impact of abortion-related deaths on the economy estimated at $35million and morbidity greater than $1billion annually in developing countries, the call for global attention to address this ugly trend cannot come at a better time than now. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence and consequences of induced abortion in developing countries, among women of reproductive age. METHOD: Review of literature on the incidence of induced and unsafe abortion, the characteristics and consequences in ten developing countries - Bangladesh, Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, Guatemala, Philippines, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Uganda and Columbia. Temporal limit was set between 1997 and 2007. FINDINGS: 90% of the studies are longitudinal retrospective and 10% longitudinal prospective study. As much as 85% of induced abortions were performed by unqualified persons in Guatemala while Uganda had the highest incidence (54 unsafe abortions per 1000 women).The cost of post–abortion complications could be as high as $504. While 1.7billion US Dollars would be required to treat cases of unsafe abortion in developing countries annually, about 2 billion US dollars would be required to treat women with resultant secondary infertility. CONCLUSION: While efforts by governments to review the restrictive abortion laws should be emphasized, policies for primary prevention of unintended pregnancies through modern contraception, responsible reproductive behaviours, and abstinence-plus strategies which are more cost-effective should be pursued.