At 3:21pm on August 25 in Kampala, Uganda, Moses Odongo received a devastating call. His 14-year-old cousin, Christine, had tragically died while attempting to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Odongo, aged 40, was at home enjoying a drink and a meal when the news reached him. His sorrow over Christine’s passing quickly turned to anger towards Uganda’s strict abortion laws and conservative culture, which he believes contributed to her death. As the founder of Family Medical Point, a nonprofit organization in Entebbe, Odongo has witnessed similar tragedies far too often in his work.
Abortion laws in Uganda are extremely restrictive, with both women seeking abortions and doctors performing them facing criminal prosecution. The country’s constitution deems abortion illegal unless specific circumstances are met, but there is no clear legislation outlining these exceptions. This ambiguity, coupled with the fear of imprisonment, leads many doctors to turn away women seeking care, forcing them to resort to dangerous and life-threatening measures to end their pregnancies.
Despite the government’s provision of post-abortion care in hospitals, the contradiction between restrictive laws and necessary health services puts women’s lives at risk. Doctors who provide this care face ostracism and stigma within Ugandan society. Activists and organizations, such as the Coalition to Stop Maternal Mortality due to Unsafe Abortion, are working to challenge these laws and increase access to safe reproductive health services.
International Safe Abortion Day holds particular significance in Uganda, where unsafe abortions contribute to a significant number of maternal deaths. Odongo and his team at Family Medical Point are actively involved in outreach programs to educate vulnerable communities, such as sex workers, about the dangers of unsafe abortion. These grassroots initiatives aim to raise awareness and provide support for those affected by restrictive abortion laws in the country.
Despite opposition from religious leaders and government officials, advocates continue to fight for the rights of women to access safe and legal abortion services. The stories of women like Christine and Irene Nakate, a sex worker who suffered complications from an unsafe abortion, highlight the urgent need for change in Uganda’s reproductive health policies. Through collective action and advocacy, activists are working to ensure that women have the right to make informed decisions about their own bodies and health.