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International Safe Abortion Day 2022 | Collections | MSF Science Portal

Unsafe abortion is a leading cause of maternal death, and the only one that is completely preventable. Yet over 30 million unsafe abortions occur each year, leading to at least 28,000 deaths and millions of serious complications—nearly all in low- and middle-income countries.

MSF teams see these tragic consequences first-hand, treating thousands of patients every year with severe, potentially life-threatening effects from unsafe abortion. So in 2016 we launched a program to systematically implement safe abortion care (SAC), starting with ten pilot sites and then applying the lessons learned to scale up at projects across the globe.

This Collection presents highlights of these efforts. Since our first publication on the need to provide SAC as a way of reducing maternal death and injury, several studies assessed the role of unsafe abortion in driving this suffering in specific contexts. Others described internal obstacles to providing SAC, operational solutions developed, and outcomes achieved. And we advocated for shifting towards community-led and self-managed SAC, particularly given new obstacles that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Collection Content

Technical Report
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Evidence Brief

The magnitude and severity of abortion-related complications in the Castors Maternity in Bangui, Central African Republic – Evidence brief, March 2022

Pasquier E, Owolabi OO, Fetters T, Chen H, Williams TN,  et al.
2022-08-30
2022-08-30
Abortion complications remain a major cause of maternal mortality worldwide and abortion-related mortality has decreased very little over the last decade, unlike maternal mortality linke...
Conference Material
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Poster

The pathway to care for women experiencing severe abortion-related morbidity: qualitative results from the AMoCo study, Jigawa State, Nigeria

Moore AM, Fetters T, Williams TN, Pasquier E, Kantiok J,  et al.
2022-05-09 • MSF Scientific Days International 2022
2022-05-09 • MSF Scientific Days International 2022
Conference Material
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Poster

Provision of safe abortion care: a multicentre descriptive mixed-methods analysis, MSF OCB 2018-2020

Van Haver A, Lagrou D, Van der Bergh R, Lynen M, Vaquero M,  et al.
2021-05-18 • MSF Scientific Days International 2021: Research
2021-05-18 • MSF Scientific Days International 2021: Research
Conference Material
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Slide Presentation

Knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviour of maternity ward staff in relation to comprehensive abortion care in a conflict-affected setting, Bangui, Central African Republic: cross-sectional survey

Chen H, Fetters T, Ngbale NR, Nguengo L, Dodane T,  et al.
2021-05-18 • MSF Scientific Days International 2021: Research
2021-05-18 • MSF Scientific Days International 2021: Research
Journal Article
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Commentary

Now is the time: a call for increased access to contraception and safe abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic

Kumar M, Daly M, de Plecker E, Jamet C, McRae M,  et al.
2020-07-20 • BMJ Global Health
2020-07-20 • BMJ Global Health
SUMMARY BOX

• The COVID-19 pandemic has begun to severely limit access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, including contraception and safe abortion care (SAC), which have h...
Conference Material
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Video

Overcoming barriers to provision of safe abortion care in MSF projects: Task Force approach

Kumar M
2019-05-10 • MSF Scientific Days International 2019
2019-05-10 • MSF Scientific Days International 2019
Journal Blog
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Perspective

Overcoming inaction and increasing access to safe abortion care: MSF experience

Fotheringham C, Kumar M, Schulte-Hillen C
2019-03-04 • PLoS Blogs
2019-03-04 • PLoS Blogs
On International Women's Day 2019, the authors discuss recent efforts by MSF to improve access to safe abortion care worldwide.
Journal Article
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Letter

Why Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides safe abortion care and what that involves

Schulte-Hillen C, Staderini N, Saint-Sauveur JF
2016-09-21 • Conflict and Health
2016-09-21 • Conflict and Health
MSF responds to needs for the termination of pregnancy, including on request (TPR); it is part of the organization's work aimed at reducing maternal mortality and suffering; and preventi...

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Poster gallery (MSF Scientific Days International 2022)

Poster gallery (MSF Scientific Days International 2022)
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MSF logo

Epicentre Scientific Day Paris 2023
No description available
Combatting antimicrobial resistance

Combatting antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing public health crisis, especially in countries with fragile health systems, population displacement or ongoing conflict. In 2019 antibiotic-resistant bacteria directly caused an estimated 1.27 million deaths, and contributed to 4.95 million deaths, tolls that will continue to increase if no effective action is taken.


MSF’s approach to combatting antimicrobial resistance combines three pillars: infection prevention and control, microbiology and surveillance, and rational use of antibiotics via antibiotic stewardship. Several studies characterize patterns and prevalence of antibiotic resistance among MSF patients, from civilians wounded in Middle East conflicts to hospitalized neonates in Central African Republic and Haiti. New technologies developed by MSF and partners are expanding local capacity for rapid, accurate laboratory diagnosis of infections, so that clinicians can prescribe the right antibiotic for each patient. Other work assesses the practices and challenges related to optimizing rational antibiotic use within health facilities and communities.

If you're interested in learning more about MSF's work in antimicrobial resistance, view the full list of MSF's publications on the topic.

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International Safe Abortion Day 2022

International Safe Abortion Day 2022