The politics of unsafe abortion in Burkina Faso

The interface of local norms and global public health practice

Bibliographic Data

ID15540945
AuthorsKaterini T Storeng (0000-0003-0032-7006, University of Oslo, corresponding author), Fatoumata Ouattara (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement)
Year2014
Volume9
Issue8
Pages946-959
Publication date2014-08-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGlobal Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1744-1692 • E-ISSN: 1744-1706
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17441692.2014.937828
PMID25132157
PMCIDPMC4285657
OpenAlexW1966666581
LanguageEN
Citations received19
References cited28

In Burkina Faso, abortion is legally restricted and socially stigmatised, but also frequent. Unsafe abortions represent a significant public health challenge, contributing to the country's very high maternal mortality ratio. Inspired by an internationally disseminated public health framing of unsafe abortion, the country's main policy response has been to provide post-abortion care (PAC) to avert deaths from abortion complications. Drawing on ethnographic research, this article describes how Burkina Faso's PAC policy emerged at the interface of political and moral negotiations between public health professionals, national bureaucrats and international agencies and NGOs. Burkinabè decision-makers and doctors, who are often hostile to induced abortion, have been convinced that PAC is 'life-saving care' which should be delivered for ethical medical reasons. Moreover, by supporting PAC they not only demonstrate compliance with international standards but also, importantly, do not have to contend with any change in abortion legislation, which they oppose. Rights-based international NGOs, in turn, tactically focus on PAC as a 'first step' towards their broader institutional objective to secure safe abortion and abortion rights. Such negotiations between national and international actors result in widespread support for PAC but stifled debate about further legalisation of abortion

Abortion · Economic growth · Environmental health · Family planning · Political science · Politics · Population · Pregnancy · Public health · Research methodology · Sociology · Unsafe abortion · Gender Studies · Global Maternal and Child Health · Healthcare Systems and Practices · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Reproductive Health and Contraception