Recommendations of the Seventh Annual Conference

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SEVENTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF ESOG BASED ON THE PANEL DISCUSSION: “ILLEGAL AND UNSAFE ABORTIN IN ETHIOPIA” MAY 17, 1999, GHION HOTEL, ADDIS ABABA

During the 7the Annual Conference of the Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) a panel discussion took place on “Illegal and Unsafe Abortion in Ethiopia”. The General Assembly, comprising ESOG members and the RH community acknowledged that unsafe abortion is a major public health problem. It underscored the timeliness of the issue and recommended that all concerned discuss it. ESOG and the RH community have expressed their appreciation to the Government for creating conducive environment and for showing an interest in addressing the causes of unsafe abortion. After a thorough discussion of the panelists’ papers,

Conference participants agreed on the following recommendations:

1. Family life education should be provided within the family, community and training institutions.
2. Family planning services should be made available, accessible and affordable to all women, men and adolescents of reproductive age.
3. Particular attention should be given to vulnerable groups such as adolescents and youth.
4. Adequate and timely post-abortion care (PAC) should be provided in the nearest health facility.
5. The community should take an active role in public discussions of unsafe abortion.
6. Provisions in the penal law pertaining to abortion should be revised to accommodate safe abortion services for vulnerable groups at selected institutions.
7. Until the current abortion law is liberalized, strategies should be devised to enhance the provision of safe abortion services.
8. There is an urgent need to conduct research on abortion issues.
9. ESOG should take a leadership role in the enactment of provisions for legal abortion as well as in the delivery of safe abortion services.
10. Abortion should not be considered a FP method.

Because time constraints precluded the possibility of arriving at a conclusive list of recommendations regarding abortion, the conference participants agreed to mandate the Executive Committee of ESOG to finalize the recommendations. Any necessary follow-up will be conducted by ESOG in consultation with all relevant governmental and non-governmental institutions.