Mozambique: Aborto seguro um direito a saude que salva vidas das mulheres

The article reports on a public health and rights-based discussion around access to safe abortion services in Mozambique, highlighting abortion as a critical issue for women’s health and survival. Speakers at a health fair in Matola stressed that unsafe abortion remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality, driven by stigma, lack of information and limited access to quality services.

Government and health officials emphasized that safe abortion is not about encouraging termination of pregnancy, but about protecting women’s lives, dignity, and fundamental rights. They noted that many adolescents and women resort to unsafe and clandestine practices due to early pregnancy, sexual violence, child marriage and the absence of accessible reproductive health services.

The article outlines progress made through legal reform, including the decriminalization of abortion in Mozambique and the expansion of safe abortion services within public health facilities. Health authorities and civil society actors called for continued community engagement, improved service provision and reduction of stigma to further reduce preventable maternal deaths linked to unsafe abortion.

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Written by Naércia Langa. This article, first published by Diario de Moçambique, is part of the Media Parity Capacity Building Programme and republished as part of the programme series.