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Each year an estimated 36 to 53 million abortions are performed worldwide. Of those, as many as 20 million are considered unsafe. In Ethiopia, the maternal mortality ratio is 673/ 100,000 LBs of which unsafe abortion accounts up to 32% of all maternal deaths. This book assesses the perception of health providers and preparedness of health institutions towards safe abortion at health facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Of 419 health providers involved, the majority believed that unsafe abortion was a serious health problem. Only 37% of the respondents were actually willing to participate in pregnancy termination and only 41.8% of the respondents were pro-legalization. Of the 33 sampled health facilities, only 21 of them provide SAC/PAC. Therefore, this book recommends that sensitizing health providers about the essential nature of safe abortion services and the Law governing abortion and equipping health facilities with trained manpower, essential supplies, and material important for safe termination of pregnancy is an important step forward to ensure the availability and accessibility of safe and legal termination of pregnancy.

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Jemilla Abdi (MPH): Studied Public Health at Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health. Lecturer at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia

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