By Maryanne W. WAWERU
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists working across East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) have reaffirmed their commitment to address the scale of unsafe abortions in the region. They made the commitment in Kenya during a learning and exchange forum jointly hosted by East, Central and Southern African College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ECSACOG) in partnership with the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) and Ipas Africa Alliance.
Held from 5 – 7 February 2026, the meeting brought together a Community of Practice (CoP) including 10 obstetrician and gynaecologists’ member societies from Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Sudan. ECSACOG established the CoP in 2022 in response to the gap in abortion access in the sub region in order to leverage members’ clinical expertise and resources to address the scale of unsafe abortions in the ECSA region.
The CoP convenes regularly, both in-person and virtually to share successes, challenges and best practices, while exploring opportunities to advance sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy in the region, including on comprehensive abortion care (CAC). They also analyse current global, regional and in-country influences affecting access to quality SRHR information and services.
Speaking at the meeting, Ms. Lillian Nkonge, Deputy Director of the IPPF WISH2 Project, emphasized on the importance of the forum.
“The meeting was a good opportunity for members to evaluate the CoP’s achievements since its establishment. Participants shared updates on SRHR advocacy work in their respective countries, highlighting innovations, challenges, and progress made. The meeting also served as a great platform for CoP members to identify current priorities and future opportunities for strengthened advocacy and regional collaboration.”
Ms. Nkonge further hailed IPPF’s partnership with FIGO/ECSACOG, citing the relevance of such partnerships in addressing the scale of unsafe abortion in the ECSA region.
“Through meaningful collaborations with key stakeholders such as professional associations, the private sector, the civil society and governments, IPPF aims to increase collective impact for SRHR success,” she said.
Zimbabwe’s push for abortion legislation review
Member country updates included Zimbabwe’s proposed Amendments to the Termination of Pregnancy Act (ToPA), as shared by Prof. Chipato Tsungai of the Zimbabwe Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ZSOG).
Zimbabwe’s ToPA is highly restrictive, allowing abortion only in limited circumstances, such as when the pregnancy endangers a woman’s physical or mental health, or if the pregnancy is as a result of incest or rape, and which requires a magistrate’s approval through a judicial process. Additionally, abortion can only be carried out by a limited pool of medical practitioners.
In this regard, Prof. Tsungai highlighted ZSOG’s advocacy for reform through the Medical Services Amendment Bill (2024).
“Our call includes the removal of the tough approval requirements for an abortion, and requiring only consent from the pregnant woman,” he said, adding that the proposed amendments would expand the legal grounds for abortion by allowing abortion on request within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and up to 20 weeks where the pregnancy poses a risk to the woman’s physical or mental health, and if it results from sexual crimes (rape/incest), or if it involves severe foetal abnormality.
Prof. Tsungai also said that the reforms aim to reduce incidents of unsafe abortions, align the law with Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution and the Maputo Protocol, as well as eliminate bureaucratic barriers that hinder women’s reproductive freedom.
Telemedicine for expanded abortion access in Rwanda
Dr. Dan Butare from the Rwanda Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (RSOG) highlighted the organization’s partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH) for expanded access to abortion care through telemedicine.
“Our main challenge with abortion has been the fear and stigma around it, especially within health facilities. To address this, we focused on training midwives and nurses at local health facilities where we strengthened their capacity to provide safe medical abortion services through teleconsultations. The midwives and nurses are connected to doctors at the district hospitals, which helps in creating a supportive network that enables guidance and referrals where necessary,” he said.
Making abortion services available in Kenya
Dr. Nyawira Wahome from the Kenya Obstetrical Gynaecological Society (KOGS) noted one major reproductive rights victory in the country, where the High Court of Kenya in December 2025 lifted the 2018 ban on Marie Stopes Kenya (MSK) regarding the advertising of safe abortion and post-abortion care services.
In August 2018, Marie Stopes Kenya (MSK), in collaboration with the MoH started a public awareness campaign on key issues around abortion. Soon after, various government agencies including the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) directed MSK to end the campaign and stop offering any form of abortion services in all its facilities. MSK was also banned by the Director of Medical Services (DMS) from providing any form of post-abortion care (PAC) in its facilities.
According to Dr. Wahome, the historic High Court of Kenya ruling affirmed that access to SRH information and services is protected by Kenya’s Constitution.
‘Coercive’ US agreements with African governments
Mr. Erick Mundia, Policy Manager at Ipas shared insights on the US government’s new funding restrictions which will apply to new grants and cooperative agreements. He explained that these compact agreements could lead to the rollback of significant SRHR gains made in recent years across the world, and especially in Africa.
“To qualify for US funding, the provisions in these Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are likely to restrict countries from spending their own tax revenues on things that the US administration disagrees with. If signed, these imbalanced agreements may compromise the autonomy of African governments and thus negatively impact on their health systems,” he said.
Mr. Mundia urged ECSACOG member societies to strengthen their partnerships with in-country stakeholders and intensify their advocacy efforts in putting to task their governments and raising questions over these harmful agreements.
Resetting priorities amid funding shifts
At the close of the forum, participants shared their reflections.
“The CoP meeting was a great opportunity for the community to reset its priorities in SRHR and revitalise momentum in light of reduced USAID funding and the new expanded US compact agreements. We also got to learn a lot from our peers through the exchange of experiences and best practices, such as the adoption of telemedicine and self-care practices in abortion care,” said Dr. Swebby Macha from the Zambia Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (ZAGO).
Dr. Macha also lauded the support of all the partners – FIGO, IPPF and Ipas, noting their crucial role in improving visibility and strengthening the impact of SRHR programs, which result in improved contraception and safe abortion services.
Call for more collaboration
Ms. Tazirwa Chipeta, Program Director at IPPF’s Member Association in Malawi -the Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) highlighted the value of regional collaboration.
“This was my first time participating in the CoP, and I’m impressed by the wealth of information I have gained. While FPAM participates in several in-country SRHR technical working groups (TWGs) where we share experiences from across Malawi, this forum has exposed me to the experiences of other countries in the region. Many of these experiences are similar to those of Malawi, while others differ, and it has been interesting to take lessons on how each country responds to challenges in each situation, and how they adapt for successful results. I have also taken note of innovations, strategies and best practices that can be adapted in the Malawi context,” she said.
Ms. Chipeta also underscored the importance of leveraging on existing national and regional resources.
“The discussions in this forum have revealed the extent of untapped resources at both country and regional levels, yet they are within our reach. Our colleagues from the Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Malawi (AOGM) and other ECSACOG members are invaluable assets. Collaboration is key and by working together with different organizations, professional societies and midwives’ associations, we can collectively capitalize on our strengths and pool our resources to strengthen our advocacy on abortion and SRHR priorities,” she said.
Reaffirmed commitment to SRHR in Africa
Dr. Dereje Negussie, from the Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ESOG), and who also chairs the CoP, reaffirmed the group’s commitment.
Original Source URL: Regional SRHR forum charts path for stronger advocacy amid funding shifts | IPPF Africa