Advocacy win: Kenya revises post-abortion care guidelines
The advocacy team in MSI Kenya contributed to the revision of Kenya’s post-abortion care package to be in line with the WHO 2023 abortion care guidelines.
The revised package of regulatory materials is an update from the 2018 edition and aims to reduce maternal mortality.
For the first time, this package will include a post-abortion care training schedule – a tool used to ensure providers are receiving quality training regularly. The new guidelines also have updated clinical methods, meaning they are line with recommendations in the 2023 WHO comprehensive abortion care guidelines. These revisions are critical to the strengthening and sustainability of Kenya’s health system.
MSI Kenya contributed through the Reproductive and Maternal Health Consortium, composed of 21 abortion and post-abortion care organizations and leading advocates, as well as the Ministry of Health. This network was the main platform for engagement between government and non-government experts.
MSI Kenya held meetings with the Ministry of Health team to make proposals for the new guidelines, and participated in technical workshops to review the old post-abortion care guidelines and make additions. They also hosted a pilot tests in three facilities so providers could trial the proposed methodologies to test their suitability and relevance. This helped the team make the case for the inclusion of their proposals in the new guidelines.
The new guidelines will be rolled out at county level, training sessions will take place, and local governments will be notified to factor in post-abortion care services when allocating resources.
