Transcript The Eastern European Alliance for Reproductive Choice (EEARC)

Rodica Comendant,
ICMA – Ipas Meeting
“Developing an African network on medical abortion”
11-13 March, 2009, Johannesburg, SA
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Unsafe abortions account for 24% of
maternal deaths in region (WHO, 1998)
Abortion rates remain high
Percentage of women using modern
contraception remains low (Population
Reference Bureau, 2002)
Abortion is commonly used as a primary
means to regulate fertility
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Widespread availability of abortion on legal
grounds for 50 years
Poor access for social-vulnerable groups
Low quality of services in public sector: the
main method D&C, no counseling, no
choice of the methods, general anesthesia
for pain control, poor infection prevention,
no contraception post-abortion services
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Better quality on higher price in private sector
Wide gaps between urban and rural access to
safe abortion of any type;
Second trimester abortion: outdated,
dangerous methods are used, the main cause
of maternal mortality related to abortion in
the region
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Access to abortion services has been
challenged in recent years
Concerns about declining birth rates,
pressure from religious groups have further
reduced support for family planning and
abortion
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Medical abortion is used (officially or
unofficially) in almost EE countries
Attitude of women towards using medical
abortion is extremely favorable (Surveys in
Romania, 2000, Lithuania 2005, Moldova)
MA Registered in 12 countries, but it’s still
not widely accessible
Misoprostol widely available and used offlebel
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Cost is prohibitive;
Statistic is virtually inexistent;
Lack of technical support and practice
guidelines from professional groups
Low knowledge of the method: misuse, low
efficacy…
Lack of providers motivation to use a new
method
Represents a group of health care
providers, researchers, individuals,
representatives of NGOs, women's
organisations promoting comprehensive
reproductive choice.
GOAL:
 To protect women’s reproductive health by
ensuring their reproductive rights and
choice, including the access to safe
abortion.
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To serve as a source of evidence-based
information on safe abortion for health care
providers and community
To act as a forum for information and experience
sharing, strategic thinking and planning for
better women’s access to quality abortion
services in the region
To promote access to safe abortion for every
woman including medical abortion as a safe and
efficient method of pregnancy termination.
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The EEARC shares and promotes the ICMA
goals.
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Steering Committee:
Prof. Irina Savelyeva, Russia - Chair
Dr. Vadimas Grebinskis, Lithuania - CoChair
Daniela Draghici, Romania
Dmitry Kochev, Russia
Dr. Susanna Vardanyan, Armenia
Dr. Svetlana Posokhova, Ukraine
Dr. Tamuna Tsereteli, Georgia
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The NGO “Women’s Health and Family
Planning”, located in Kiev from July 2008.
Coordinator: DR. Galina Mistruk, the NGO
Director
Assisstant, Nadejda Bedriciuk
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Collecting and analyzing country abortion
profiles.
Developing a website
Developing educational materials
Participating and organizing regional and
international meetings and conferences
Developing a Memorandum to address the
most important issues around abortion, to be
used for advocacy for safe abortion
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Development of a training curricula for
abortion providers
Capacity building of health care providers:
ToT, introductory studies, dissemination of
evidence-based teaching materials
Development and dissemination of
educational materials for the community
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Funding!
Lack of networking skills
Poor civil society involvement in the RH issues
Growing fundamentalism along with the lack
of the background of feminism movement in
the region
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Thank you!
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Questions….