Malawi
Malawi’s abortion law is one of the most restrictive in Africa, as it only permits termination of pregnancy to save a woman’s life. This leads many women and girls to end unwanted pregnancies in unsafe, clandestine settings. Unsafe abortion accounts for 18% of maternal deaths in Malawi, and the health system also treats high numbers of women with complications from unsafe abortion.
South Africa
Abortion has been legal in South Africa since the enactment of the 1996 Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act. But unsafe abortion is prevalent and particularly impacts poor women and girls and those who live in rural areas. In 2012, nearly 50 percent of adolescent abortions occurred outside of a clinical setting. Most were likely unsafe.
Zambia
Although abortion is legal in Zambia, the barriers to accessing safe abortion care are formidable. Doctors are in short supply, and there is a strong and persistent social stigma surrounding abortion. Very few women know they have the right to a safe, legal abortion or know where to seek safe abortion services; as a result, unsafe abortion is a major problem in Zambia.