The provision of abortion care in Ethiopia: current situation and trends

Yirgu Gebrehiwot, Addis Ababa University
Ann M. Moore, Guttmacher Institute
Tamara Fetters, Ipas
Yohannes Dibaba Wado, Ipas, Ethiopia
Akinrinola Bankole, Guttmacher Institute
Yonas Getachew, Ipas, Ethiopia
Mengistu H. Mariam, Government of Ethiopia
Susheela D. Singh, Guttmacher Institute

In 2005, the Ethiopian Parliament amended the penal code to allow abortion in cases of rape/incest, if the woman has physical or mental disabilities, if it is needed to preserve the woman’s life or physical health, or she is a minor who is physically or mentally unprepared for childbirth. In 2014 we repeated the national assessment first done in 2008 to see whether government programs had been effective at increasing access to safe abortion. Between 2008 to 2014, the proportion of all public facilities providing PAC services increased, but decreased among facilities in the private sector. From 2008 to 2014, the proportion of public hospitals providing TOP services increased from 67% to 93% but the percentage of private facilities providing PAC decreased from 92% to 73%. This research is one of very few in the world to assess the impact of the reform of abortion policy and practice over time.