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Abortion-related near-miss events in humanitarian crisis contexts: Results from a qualitative study in Jigawa State, Nigeria

Ann M. Moore, Guttmacher Institute
Tamara Fetters, Ipas
Timothy Williams, EpiCentre-Médecins Sans Frontières
Estelle Pasquier, Epicentre-Médecins Sans Frontières
Joy Kantiok, EpiCentre-Médecins Sans Frontières
Claire Fotheringham, Médecins Sans Frontières, OCP
Onikepe Owolabi, Vital Strategies
Laitu Jatau, EpiCentre-Médecins Sans Frontières
Bill Powell, Ipas
Catrin Schulte-Hillen, Médecins Sans Frontières

Maternal near-miss events (severe morbidity) are a key measure of maternal health. Abortion-related complications are one source of near-miss events. To understand the pathway to care of women with abortion-related near-miss events, we conducted in-depth semi-structures interviews with women who obtained treatment at a referral hospital in Jigawa State, Nigeria in 2020 and 2021 (n=60). None of the respondents stated that they knowingly interfered with the pregnancy. Women mentioned ingestion of herbal/food mixtures often preceded the onset of bleeding/pregnancy loss. Religious beliefs that it is the will of a higher power that she lose the pregnancy, use of traditional healers and religious leaders, and financial and social dependence on their husbands to facilitate travel to the hospital in addition to husbands’ lack of ability to pay for transportation, emerged as the main reasons for delays in seeking and reaching the health facility to obtain appropriate care.

Keywords: Health and morbidity, Fertility and childbirth, Gender, Qualitative data/methods/approaches

See paper.

  Presented in Session 44. Health and Reproductive Health