Human Rights Watch: Safe Access to Abortion Crucial to Reducing Maternal Mortality in Kenya
Agnes Odhiambo, senior researcher in the Women’s Rights Division at HRW, discusses Kenya’s “Beyond Zero” campaign to eradicate preventable maternal and child mortality in the country, highlighting criticism that the campaign does not address access to safe abortion. Odhiambo writes, “‘Beyond Zero’ is a high-profile campaign that could mobilize support for [guidelines on reducing morbidity and mortality from unsafe abortions] to be instituted. The campaign could also prompt the government to address the root causes of unsafe abortions which include high rates of teenage pregnancy, lack of access to modern methods of contraception, and lack of access to age-appropriate, comprehensive reproductive health education for girls and young women. A comprehensive approach to sexual and reproductive health is needed to stop the unnecessary deaths of women and girls in Kenya…” (3/14).