Although abortion is illegal in Kenya, many women and girls with unplanned pregnancy claim they have little choice but to undertake risky abortions without a nurse or doctor’s assistance in Kilifi County on the country’s southern coast.Local activists say the practice is contributing to high maternal mortality in the region.
The World Health Organization estimates that obstructed labor accounts for 6% of the maternal deaths worldwide. When it happens, the baby is unable to move through the birth canal. Additionally, it can result in obstetric fistula, which, particularly in developing countries, can have a long-term impact on a woman’s health.