Research snapshot: Improving access to safe abortion in humanitarian settings

Access to safe abortion is a recognised human right– but humanitarian agencies often fail to offer this essential health service. Refugees and displaced people face uniquely challenging barriers to abortion access. This mixed-methods community-engaged study found that most women and girls in Kakuma Refugee Camp (Kenya) and Bidibidi Refugee Settlement (Uganda) did not use World Health Organization recommended abortion methods. Instead, traditional herbs, non-medication abortion pharmaceutical drugs, or other unsafe methods were used. Very few reported using medication abortion or obtaining an abortion in a health care facility.

The study recommends that more resources should be dedicated to improving provision of safe abortion in humanitarian settings, including self-managed medication abortion, which has been demonstrated to be an effective, safe, and high quality experience in other settings where access to abortion in the formal healthcare system is limited.

This snapshot contains key messages, findings, implications for humanitarian policymakers and practitioners and recommendations for further research.