The Coalition for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion (COPUA) has renewed calls for Malawi’s newly elected Members of Parliament to urgently review the country’s restrictive abortion laws, warning that unsafe practices continue to endanger the lives of women and girls.
Speaking to Nthanda Times, COPUA representative Faith Kadzanja said the existing legal framework, which only permits abortion when the mother’s life is at risk, is inadequate and pushes many women into unsafe and illegal procedures.
protected by reCAPTCHA
“You might recall that the Termination of Pregnancy Bill has been brought before Parliament several times, but it has never passed. Meanwhile, young women and girls continue resorting to unsafe abortions, putting their health and rights at risk,” Kadzanja said.
She stressed that Parliament must strike a balance between Malawi’s cultural values and the urgent need to protect the lives of women, saying it is unacceptable for preventable deaths to continue.
“The grounds for accessing safe abortion should be broadened so that women and girls are not forced into secrecy and danger. No woman or girl should be dying from something that can be prevented,” she added.
Data show the toll of unsafe abortion is growing.
In 2022, over 7,851 women and girls in Lilongwe and 3,395 in Blantyre sought post-abortion care for complications resulting from unsafe procedures—numbers that have steadily risen in recent years (Ipas Malawi/Ministry of Health, reported by APHRC & Investigative Platform Malawi).
A Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths in Malawi (2020–2022) found that unsafe abortion contributes to about 27% of abortion-related maternal deaths (MLW, 2024 Report).
Broader estimates from Ipas put unsafe abortion’s share of overall maternal mortality at around 18% (Ipas Malawi).
Adolescent girls are among the most affected. A recent report on Blantyre showed 570 cases among girls aged 15–19 and 60 among girls aged 10–14 in a single year, highlighting the vulnerability of teenagers to unsafe practices (Safe Abortion Women’s Right Watch).
A separate study found that 97% of adolescents who attempted to end a pregnancy first tried unsafe methods before seeking care (PMC study, 2024).
This year, Malawi commemorated International Safe Abortion Day under the theme: “In Solidarity, Working Towards Reduction of Deaths from Unsafe Abortion in Malawi.”
