Advocacy towards changes on laws governing access to safe abortion in Kenya

Abstract

Unsafe abortion is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide as well as in Kenya. The discussion of a revised constitution for Kenya during 2008 to August 2010 was an opportunity to create a greater awareness on the need of reproductive health services and of broadening the circumstances under which abortion is permitted by law. The Kenyan Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (KOGS) used its scientific prestige to advocate for more liberal abortion legislation in which it teamed with civil rights and professional associations in reproductive health such as the National nurses association, the midwife chapter and the Kenya clinical officers’ society. Since it is not possible to fully evaluate the full impact of these efforts in the constitutional change debate, we describe what was done and achieved in the constitutional changes affecting reproductive health in Kenya