Estimating the incidence of induced abortion among women in refugee settings in Ethiopia.
| Title: | Estimating the incidence of induced abortion among women in refugee settings in Ethiopia. |
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| Authors: | Wado YD; African Population and Health Research Center, APHRC Campus, 2nd floor, Manga Close, P.O. Box 10787-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. ywado@aphrc.org.; Küng S; Guttmacher Institute, 125 Maiden Lane, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10038, USA.; Odwe G; Population Council Kenya, Avenue 5, Rose Avenue, P.O. Box: 17643, Nairobi, Kenya.; Dessie Y; African Population and Health Research Center, APHRC Campus, 2nd floor, Manga Close, P.O. Box 10787-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.; College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.; Habteyesus D; Population Council, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.; Wandera B; African Population and Health Research Center, APHRC Campus, 2nd floor, Manga Close, P.O. Box 10787-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.; Rich C; Guttmacher Institute, 125 Maiden Lane, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10038, USA.; Kisaakye P; Population Council Kenya, Avenue 5, Rose Avenue, P.O. Box: 17643, Nairobi, Kenya.; Kabiru CW; African Population and Health Research Center, APHRC Campus, 2nd floor, Manga Close, P.O. Box 10787-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.; Obare F; Population Council Kenya, Avenue 5, Rose Avenue, P.O. Box: 17643, Nairobi, Kenya.; Giorgio M; Guttmacher Institute, 125 Maiden Lane, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10038, USA. |
| Source: | Conflict and health [Confl Health] 2025 Jul 01; Vol. 19 (1), pp. 37. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Jul 01. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101286573 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 1752-1505 (Print) Linking ISSN: 17521505 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Confl Health Subsets: PubMed not MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, c2007- |
| Abstract: | Background: There is little evidence of the magnitude of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion in humanitarian settings, but the extent and consequences of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion are likely to be exacerbated among refugee populations. This study estimated the incidence of induced abortion among women in refugee settings in Ethiopia.; Methods: This study was conducted in 22 of the 24 refugee camps located in Ethiopia. We used data from a Health Facilities Survey (HFS) of 75 health facilities providing postabortion care (PAC) or safe abortion care (SAC) services within or outside the 22 refugee camps and a Knowledgeable Informant Survey (KIS) of 69 individuals knowledgeable about induced abortion among refugee populations. We estimated the annual postabortion caseload, the number of induced abortions, and the induced abortion rate per 1,000 women of reproductive age.; Results: We estimated that 9,044 (95% CI: 6,633 - 11,455) women in refugee settings received PAC across the 75 facilities in 2023, while some 2,946 (95% CI: 1,826-4,066) women received SAC. The overall induced abortion incidence rate among women in refugee settings living in camps in Ethiopia was estimated to be 38.3 per 1,000 women aged 15-49 years, with slight variations by region. The proportion of safe abortions obtained from the formal health system was 11.5% in all camps, with a slightly higher proportion of abortions estimated to take place within facilities in Western camps (12.9%) compared to Eastern and Northeastern camps (9.7%).; Conclusion: The study found that abortion incidence is high among women in refugee settings in Ethiopia, and only a small proportion of induced abortions were conducted through SAC services. There is an urgent need to improve family planning, SAC, and PAC services in refugee camps.; (© 2025. The Author(s).) |
| Competing Interests: | Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval for the Abortion Incidence Study in Refugee Settings in Ethiopia was received from the Institutional Review Board of the Ethiopian Public Health Association (protocol number, EPHA/OG/1030/2023, dated 07/2023) and the Guttmacher Institute IRB (protocol number IRB00002197, dated 01/2023). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. |
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| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20250702 Latest Revision: 20250704 |
| Update Code: | 20260130 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC12211797 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s13031-025-00676-y |
| PMID: | 40598564 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article