An estimated 21.6 million unsafe abortions took place worldwide in 2008, almost all in developing countries. Deaths due to unsafe abortion remain close to 13 per cent of all maternal deaths, the WHO has disclosed.
While the international health experts maintain that over the past two decades comprehensive abortion care have evolved greatly, despite these advances, an estimated 22 million abortions continue to be performed unsafely each year, resulting in the death of an estimated 47,000 women and disabilities for an additional 5 million women.
According to the WHO, the total number of unsafe abortions has increased from about 20 million in 2003 to 22 million in 2008. The proportion of all abortions that are unsafe has increased from 44 per cent in 1995 and 47 per cent in 2003 to 49 per cent in 2008. “Almost all unsafe abortions occur in developing countries,” said the WHO. The risk of death due to unsafe abortion varies among developing regions. The fatality rate for unsafe abortion is 460 per 100,000 unsafe abortion procedures in Africa and 520 per 100,000 in sub-Saharan Africa, compared with 30 per 100,000 in Latin America and the Caribbean and 160 per 100,000 in Asia.
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Indian docs abroad will serve in India
TEENA THACKER
NEW DELHI, JUNE 21
Doctors of Indian-origin, who are settled aboard, may soon be seen performing voluntary health services in India. To facilitate these doctors’ work in India, the Union health secretary has written to the states to appoint nodal officers so that the work can be started soon.
The health ministry swung into this direction after a large number of doctors expressed their willingness to undertake voluntary services to improve healthcare system in India during the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in 2011.
The Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, recently met health secretary P.K. Pradhan expressing their interest of work for various states. “The ministry has written to the states to cooperate and indicate their interest so that the doctors can be linked with them and they can start their services without any further delay,” said a senior official in the health ministry. It may be noted that the health ministry has already constituted a three-member cell headed by joint secretary S.K. Rao which acts as a nodal point to facilitate the future course of action. “Some doctors have even shown interest in adopting their native villages. The cell has been constituted to interact with these overseas doctors. We have had a meeting with them and working in further direction so that they can provide there services here,” added the official. The ministry is also trying to develop a portal to act as a registry where intending experts could indicate the nature of services to be rendered.