Fida: Women, girls need access to quality reproductive health
Fida Kenya official says there is need for clarity on access to reproductive healthcare for adolescents due to the high teenage pregnancies in the country.
What you need to know:
- Fida - Kenya has called for consensus building to facilitate legislation on sex education, family planning and safe abortion in the country.
- Official says said there is need for a law to ensure women and girls have access to quality reproductive health.
- Data from the KNBS statistical abstract 2021, shows that 50 people were arrested and charged in 2020 for procuring abortion.
The Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida) in Kenya has called for consensus building to facilitate legislation on sex education, family planning and safe abortion in the country.
Efforts to pass the Reproductive Health Care Bill have flopped severally with the most recent attempt by former Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika facing opposition from the government, pro-life groups and the clergy.
Fida Programmes Officer Elizabeth Gichohi, said there is need for a law to ensure women and girls have access to quality reproductive health, which is a fundamental right.
Teenage pregnancies
“The Constitution is very clear that abortion is illegal. However, unsafe abortion is still rampant. Many mothers continue to die due to lack of access to quality reproductive health care,” said Ms Gichohi who spoke during a media training in Nairobi last week.
She said there was a need for clarity on access to reproductive healthcare for adolescents due to the high teenage pregnancies in the country. More than 317,000 girls aged 10-19 years got pregnant in 2021.
Ms Gichohi said the Reproductive Health Care Bill 2019, sought to legislate on access to free post-natal and antenatal care, safe abortion, access to contraceptives and assisted reproduction.
Religious leaders
“There is need for the religious leaders, civil society, government, pro-choice and pro-life groups to address the contentious issues,” she said.
The Ministry of Health had opposed the Bill as introduced by Senator Kihika, arguing that it normalises abortion on demand.
Pro-life groups and church leaders also faulted the Bill due to controversial issues of abortion, surrogacy and same sex unions.
Early this year, the high court directed Parliament to enact a law on termination of pregnancy and a public policy framework for exceptions as stipulated in the Constitution.
The court also held that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers for seeking or offering abortion services is illegal.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) statistical abstract 2021, shows that 50 people were arrested and charged in 2020 for procuring abortion.
Abortion
Health officials in Meru County have previously called for interventions to address unsafe abortion amid rising number of women and girls seeking post-abortal care.
According to the KNBS statistical abstract 2021, more than 91,000 abortions were reported in 2020.
Data from Meru health department indicates that cases of reported abortion have been on an upward trajectory since 2016 when 1,187 cases were recorded.
In 2017, health facilities recorded 1,311 abortions, 1,847 in 2018, 2,510 in 2019 and 2,700 cases in 2020 while in 2021 more than 3400 cases had been recorded by October.
