Maternal Mortality is the result of a plethora of factors – the inadequacy of information, nutrition and healthcare, complications during pregnancy or delivery of the child, and even due to unsafe abortions. The World Health Organisation has estimated that each year, as many as around 358,000 women die because of complications during pregnancy or childbirth and many more encounter serious problems. This interesting short film is a perfect exposition of some of these issues.

Among the many causes that contribute to Maternal Mortality, one of the major ones continues to be abortion-related complications. The W.H.O. points out that 47 000 women die from complications of unsafe abortion each year, and deaths due to unsafe abortion remain close to 13% of all maternal deaths. Since this is an average, there are many countries or regions where this may be even 50% of all maternal deaths. Every 8 minutes a woman in a developing nation will die of complications arising from an unsafe abortion.

The use of toxic mixtures, invasive techniques that might perforate and injure internal organs, and inducing abortions from untrained ‘providers’ can pose a threat to the life of the woman or girl. When the pregnancy is unwanted, and access to abortions is restricted, the woman is forced to opt for unsafe means, as we can see in this film From Unwanted Pregnancy to Safe Abortions. When unsafe abortions occur, there are many risks stemming from the fact that it is unsafe: in terms of the lack of trained personnel, the reliance on unsafe methods, the infliction of injuries and the consumption of unsafe material that ranges from turpentine to bleach. The main causes of death from unsafe abortion are hemorrhage, infection, sepsis, genital trauma, and necrotic bowel.

The reduction of maternal mortality with the increment in access to safe abortions has been seen in several instances. For example, in Nepal, the statistical drop in the MMR was an impressive observation. In 1996, the MMR stood at 539 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, and this became 281 by 2006, representing a decline of 48 percent over a period of ten years. The commendable quantum shift brought Nepal an award from the United Nations to laud its contribution towards the achievement of MDG 5 (Improve maternal health by reducing maternal mortality rates). This reduction coincides considerably with the reform in the laws concerning abortion, and in the changed enforcement of the laws after the decision in Lakshmi Dhikta opened out access to safe abortions by making it a governmental responsibility

Addressing maternal mortality arising out of unsafe abortions does not need only a change in law, but also in ensuring continued advocacy so that the facilities remain accessible in terms of the economics, society and cultural angles. Safe, affordable and legal means of abortion alone can help women in exercising their right to choice. The point to be remembered is that the reduction in maternal mortality isn’t just about the public health angle – but most importantly one that concerns social justice and human rights.