WHO publishes new guideline for safe abortions

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday released a new guideline on abortion care in a bid to help prevent some 25 million unsafe procedures estimated to occur every year.

Only half of the approximately 50 million abortions performed every year are carried out using a method recommended by the WHO, are appropriate to the duration of the pregnancy and are assisted by someone with the necessary information or skills, the health body said.

Unsafe abortions cause around 39,000 deaths every year and result in millions more women being hospitalized with complications, especially in lower-income countries and among those living in vulnerable situations.

“Being able to obtain a safe abortion is a crucial part of health care,” said Craig Lissner, acting Director for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at WHO. “Nearly every death and injury that results from unsafe abortion is entirely preventable.”

The WHO said that the new guideline includes recommendations on “many simple primary care level interventions” improving the quality of care as well as recommendations for use where appropriate of telemedicine.

The health body is also recommending “removing medically unnecessary policy barriers to safe abortion” such as criminalization, waiting times, the requirement that approval is given by other people and limits on when during pregnancy an abortion can take place.

Most countries permit abortions under specified circumstances, about 20 countries provide no legal grounds for the procedure and three in four countries have legal penalties for it.

“No one should be exposed to abuse or harms like being reported to the police or put in jail because they have sought or provided abortion care,” WHO’s Bela Ganatra said.

According to the WHO, evidence shows that restricted access to abortions does not reduce the number of procedures, but instead is likely to drive women and girls towards unsafe procedures.