Guttmacher News Release: Unsafe Abortion a Major Cause of Maternal Death in Ghana:
Lack of Awareness of Abortion Law Is a Barrier to Better Health
More than one in 10 pregnancy-related deaths in Ghana are the result of unsafe abortions. In addition, 13% of Ghanaian women who have had an abortion experience complications resulting from unsafe procedures, and fewer than half of them received the needed follow-up care. These statistics are all the more remarkable because Ghana is one of the few African countries where abortion is legal under fairly broad grounds, and abortion performed by a qualified professional under proper conditions is an extremely safe procedure. . . .