By Mabinty M. Kamara
Statistics Sierra Leone, in Partnership with the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), an independent research institution based in Kenya, is set to conduct a research on resources available to access safe abortion in Sierra Leone.
The research, according to Samuel Ansumana, Director of Communication and Information at Statistic Sierra Leone, falls under a four-year project “Challenging the Politics of Social Exclusion” (CPSE) project to be implemented in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone is one of seven countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, and Liberia, in which APHRC, Africa’s premier research think tank institution, will implement the CPSE project.
The specific focus is to highlight the Access to Safe Abortion. The other two layers of the CPSE project are Adolescents Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Marginalized groups.
The two research institutions on 12th March started an engagement at Statistics Sierra Leone’s head office in Freetown to discuss the work plan for the research as well as review proposals for data collection, data management and storage and for the dissemination plan for the “Access to Safe Abortion Study”.
Ansumana told Politico that an earlier study conducted by the APHRC showed that two out of three abortions in Africa were unsafe and that because of the controversy around the issue and its ensuing consequences in Sierra Leone, the country was selected to be part of this project.
A bill designed to legalize access to safe abortion in the country was aborted by President Ernest Bai Koroma, following outcry from religious bodies in 2016.
“The aim is to have a specific data on Sierra Leone’s case. Statistic Sierra Leone and APHC are not advocacy organizations, so we are not doing advocacy. What we are doing is to have a credible data on the facilities available in Sierra Leone to access safe abortion in case there is a need. It is now left with government and other institutions to take up the issues,” said Ansumana.
Giving an overview of APHRC at the first day of the initial planning meeting, Boniface Ushie, a Senior Researcher from APHRC, said his organization’s overall programmatic focus were Research Generation and Synthesis of Scientific Knowledge, Research Capacity Strengthening and Policy Engagement and Communications.
Mr. Ushie said Unsafe abortion was a major cause of Maternal morbidity and mortality, noting that more than 4 in 10 women of reproductive age want to avoid or delay a pregnancy and more than half of that number are not using an effective contraceptive method.
Dr Mohamed Korjie, Technical Assistant to the Statistician General of Sierra Leone, said the institution had the expertise to undertake any level of research work.
The 5-man delegation from APHRC were scheduled to continue engagement with the local partners this week through a nationwide consultative stakeholders meeting with Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, advocacy Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOS), civil Society organizations, and journalists on access to safe abortion.
The program will be held in Freetown where Citizens’ participation and involvement in the process will be sought.
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