Until September 26, 2002 abortion was criminal in Nepal. Women were imprisoned for terminating pregnancies, for miscarriages, and for the birth of dead babies. Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) at 870 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births was one of the highest in South Asia.

ASAP has done a video series on the decriminalization of abortion in Nepal. In our first two videos, we highlighted the situation in Nepal before 2002, and the barriers to legalization of safe abortion.

Today, Nepal celebrates the 10th anniversary of decriminalizing abortions. In the last ten years, MMR has come down by 78%. The third part of our video series explains how. Dr. Indira Basnett, ASAP Steering Committee member, and Director of Ipas Nepal talks about the challenges faced after legalization, and the continuing struggle to improve maternal health in Nepal. She explains how the country is working on making abortion accessible, affordable and acceptable for all women around Nepal.