I LOST A VILLAGE MATE TO UNSAFE ABORTION: VERY PAINFUL!
The cause of her death was immediately neither known to me nor to the mourners. We were all in a vacuum of uncertainty. The mourners, with their hands rested on their chest symbolizing sadness, spoke in low tones only mumbling to each other questions that went answered. If again my memory serves me well, please let’s not expostulate about my memory, I recall overhearing from a group of elders that Mercy, barely 19 years old, had taken an overdose of the popular painkiller, panadol that pitifully led to her untimely and premature death. A darling of the village, as young as 19 years, and girl who would probably have been a respected and a renown worldwide leader, had her dreams shattered. The breathless and lifeless body of Mercy, who would probably have been a source of ingenuity to today’s young generation, was lying down dead 6ft below. It was sad.
As the sorrowful whispers spread through the air, the old and the young settled into groups, all discussing the cause of Mercy’s sudden death. Many unanswered questions were written all over their remorseful faces. At that age, I could not comprehend the chemistry between taking an overdose drug and death. However, I at least knew that taking any drug was not good. I remember my mother mercilessly caning me for chewing Aspirin tablets that I had stolen from her bag. Those who have chewed Aspirin can tell of that sweet taste that comes along the chewing. That beating from my mother, a nurse, impacted some sense into my young brains that drugs are dangerous and to never take any without her prescription.
As the sorrowful whispers spread through the air, the old and the young settled into groups, all discussing the cause of Mercy’s sudden death. Many unanswered questions were written all over their remorseful faces. At that age, I could not comprehend the chemistry between taking an overdose drug and death. However, I at least knew that taking any drug was not good. I remember my mother mercilessly caning me for chewing Aspirin tablets that I had stolen from her bag. Those who have chewed Aspirin can tell of that sweet taste that comes along the chewing. That beating from my mother, a nurse, impacted some sense into my young brains that drugs are dangerous and to never take any without her prescription.
Years later, I learnt from my close village friend Joseph Kitheng'eng'e, that Mercy died from unsafe abortion complications. Just like Mercy, we are today loosing many young girls and women to the cruel nature of death as a result of unsafe abortion. Premature deaths that can be avoided if we all spoke in one voice against unsafe abortion. Untimely deaths that can be avoided if all women had access to quality and affordable health care; importantly access to safe abortion and contraceptives. Cruel and painful deaths that can be shunned if all young girls and women had access to information on the dangers of this monster called unsafe abortion. The story of Mercy is a sad story that thousands and millions of young girls are going through every day; sad stories of premature deaths of innocent young girls mainly because of unsafe abortions.
According to a recently released report by GuttMacher Institute, Abortion Worldwide 2017 Uneven and Unequal Access, an estimated 36 abortions occur each year per 1,000 women aged 15–44 year in developing regions, compared with 27 in developed regions. Though abortion rates have been reported to have declined in developed countries, no significant change has occurred in developing countries. Worldwide, unsafe abortion is a serious and a continuing public health challenge which accounts for 13% of global maternal deaths and remains the principal cause of a range of short-and long-term health complications in women. A report by African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) states that about 8.5 million women globally suffer from complications of unsafe abortion annually with three million of these women going without any form of treatment. The report also notes that, the largest proportion and highest rate of unsafe abortion occurs in Africa, where most countries have restrictive abortion laws, limited access to reproductive health services and high unmet need for family planning services.
Kenya is not an isolated country. In Kenya, an estimated 464,690 unsafe abortions among women aged 15-49 years occurs annually corresponding to an induced abortion rate of 48 abortions per 1000 women. Approximately 157,762 women are treated for complications of induced and spontaneous abortions in health facilities with 119,912 of these women suffering from complications as a result of unsafe abortions.
Every other day in Kenya, we wake up to saddening news that a woman has lost her life in the process of procuring an unsafe abortion. We are loosing potential future human resources to the deadly killer; the unsafe abortion disaster. A disaster that is silently and slowly taking over many other disasters in the country and soon it will be the leading cause of deaths among our young girls and women. A disaster that is worth gazetting as a National Disaster. Unless we all openly rise and raise our voices and scream against the dangers associated with unsafe abortion, am worried that many more young girls will continue to die. Unless we cease stigmatizing young girls and women who access and seek safe abortion services, abortion deaths are headed to be the leading cause of premature deaths in Kenya. Unless the Government and the Ministry of Health relaxes the restrictive law on abortion, we will keep loosing many more girls, the likes of my would be village heroine Mercy, to untimely deaths.
Its worthless if I don't remind you that according to the Kenyan constitution, access to health,including sexual reproductive health, is the highest attainable fundamental right to all. Women have a right to make an informed decision about their health. Importantly, women should have children by their choice and not just by mere chances.
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