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A non-profit organization aimed at promoting family planning, DKT International Ghana has held a roundtable discussion with some sections of the media to create awareness on ‘safe abortion’.  
 
The campaign dubbed ‘Papaya training’ was in collaboration with DKT WomanCare to commemorate this year’s International Safe Abortion Day which falls on September 28, 2021.
 
Led by the Director of Medical Affairs at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ali Samba educates journalists on the use of Manual Vacuum Aspirators (MVA) in Ghana.
 
What is MVA?
 
Vacuum or suction aspiration is a procedure that uses a vacuum source to remove an embryo or fetus through the cervix. The procedure is performed to induce abortion, as a treatment for incomplete miscarriage or retained pregnancy tissue, or to obtain a sample of the uterine lining.
 
According to Dr. Ali Samba, the majority of women are compelled to use unsafe methods to get rid of ‘unwanted’ pregnancies due to stigma.
 
This he said is “worrying” after urging women to seek professional advice in such circumstances.
 
“The Ghana Statistical Service has stated that almost 1 in 6 (15%) of women in reproductive age in Ghana have had an unsafe abortion (GSS, 2016), with almost 1/3 of women in rural areas who go through abortion using illegal and nonmedical methods (GMHS, 2017).” He said
 
Adding that “30 women die for every 100,000 unsafe abortions in developed regions. The number rises to 220 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions in developing regions, and 520 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions in sub-Saharan Africa.”
 
“30 women die for every 100,000 unsafe abortions in developed regions. The number rises to 220 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions in developing regions, and 520 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions in sub-Saharan Africa,” he added.