The preparedness of health facilities to provide post-abortion care in Kenya

Despite the acknowledgment that post-abortion care (PAC) is critical to averting morbidity and death from abortion-related complications, thousands of women across Kenya still struggle to access and receive quality and comprehensive PAC.

Limitations to accessing and receiving high-quality PAC and post-abortion family planning counseling can lead to severe delays in receiving the life-saving treatment, as well as repeat unintended pregnancies and induced abortions. According to our latest findings, about 1% of women treated for abortion-related complications in health facilities in Kenya experienced near misses and deaths, while about 16% presented with potentially life-threatening complications, 29% had moderately severe complications, and 54% had mild complications. Understanding the preparedness of health facilities to provide PAC for these complications is critical to pinpointing the strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement within the existing health system and strengthening PAC service delivery.

This brief summarizes the results from a nationally representative survey (conducted from April to May 2023) among 658 primary, secondary, and tertiary health facilities in Kenya to assess their capacity to provide PAC.