Which African countries authorize or prohibit abortion?
In the majority of countries on the continent, abortion is authorized only under conditions: for medical reasons, for example in the DRC, the Central African Republic and Algeria; to save the mother’s life in Mali, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Only a few countries, such as South Africa, Mozambique and Benin, authorize it without restrictions. While several states such as Senegal, Mauritania, Congo-Brazzaville and Madagascar still completely prohibit it.
Within the International Planned Parenthood Federation, we point out the lack of access to information and correct services. Which partly explains the number of unsafe abortions carried out each year on the continent. They are estimated at more than 6 million, causing at least 15,000 deaths every year.
Another reason given for these bad figures, according to this organization: the erroneous information disseminated on current legislation, false information relayed by anti-abortion groups from the United States, Europe and Russia. In response, several organizations, including the International Planned Parenthood Federation, decided in June 2024 to join forces by creating a coalition on the continent called Catalysts. Objective: to advance the right to abortion by recalling that it is above all essential health care.