Kampala, Uganda – Moses Odongo, a healthcare advocate, experienced profound loss when his 14-year-old cousin, Christine, tragically died while attempting a dangerous self-induced abortion. This heartbreak occurred at his home in Kampala just as he was settling down from a day’s work. Stricken with grief and anger, Odongo points to the stringent abortion laws and deeply conservative culture in Uganda as contributors to such devastating incidents.
For Odongo, who is deeply invested in reproductive health education through his non-profit Family Medical Point, these tragedies are all too familiar yet painfully personal. He explains how lack of sexual education and restrictive dialogue around abortion options contribute to risky behaviors that can end fatally.
In Uganda, abortion is not only stigmatized but heavily restricted by law. Those seeking or providing abortions risk severe penalties under a colonial-era penal code, which can mean up to seven years in prison for women and even longer for practitioners. The legal landscape is further complicated by contradicting government guidelines that make exceptions only in specific instances such as when the mother’s life is at risk, leaving many in murky legal waters, where both healthcare providers and women desiring abortions operate in fear of imprisonment.
Legal expert Primah Kwagala notes the suffocating effect of the ambiguous laws. Stationed in her Kampala office, surrounded by legal texts and advocacy paraphernalia, Kwagala is fighting to clarify these laws. Despite these efforts, the existing uncertainty promotes a dire consequence — negligible access to safe abortion services.
Tackling another aspect of this complex issue, the Ugandan government paradoxically spends $14 million annually on post-abortion care. Medical professionals like Oscar Muhoozi see this as an attempt to align with international health standards while acknowledging the grim reality of unsafe abortion practices. Despite government efforts, these interventions often arrive too late, leaving women to face both physical dangers and societal demonization.
Adding to the fraught situation, societal and religious stigmas loom large. Odongo recalls the hostility at Christine’s funeral, where religious leaders refused to offer prayers due to the circumstances of her death. This stigma is pervasive and influences public opinion and policy, as evidenced by leaders like Janet Museveni, Uganda’s First Lady, who publicly condemns abortion and supports initiatives that seem to promise increased restrictions.
Despite these challenges, advocates like Edith Sifuna of the Coalition to Stop Maternal Mortality due to Unsafe Abortion push forward, employing strategies like community education and social media outreach to foster discussion and reduce stigma during events like International Safe Abortion Day.
The dangers of informal and unsafe abortion methods are not just statistics for Moses Odongo; they are personal and poignant. Urging more open conversations and better education on safe practices, Odongo and others work tirelessly to prevent other families from experiencing similar tragedies.
As International Safe Abortion Day rallies advocates from various sectors, their collective voice grows stronger, calling for clear laws and accessible, safe medical procedures. It’s a battle fraught with emotional and political challenges, but for many like Odongo, it’s also a deeply personal fight to save lives and protect future generations from preventable deaths.