TLTP
\nLONDON
\nMillions of women and girls globally have lost access to contraceptives and abortion services because of the coronavirus pandemic, as they bear the brunt of the global calamity, warned an international aid group.
\nAcross 37 countries, nearly two million fewer women received such services between January and June than in the same period last year, said Marie Stopes International in a new report on Wednesday.
\nIndia, with its abrupt months-long lockdown, has been hit especially hard, with 1.3 million women affected.
\nThe organisation expects an additional 900,000 unintended pregnancies worldwide as a result, along with an additional 1.5 million unsafe abortions and an additional more than 3,000 maternal deaths.
\n\u201cThis pandemic has strained healthcare services all over the world, but sexual and reproductive healthcare was already so under prioritised that once again women are bearing the brunt of this global calamity,\u201d Dr Rashmi Ardey, director of clinical services at MSI\u2019s India programme, said in a statement.
\nThe World Health Organization (WHO) this month said two-thirds of 103 countries surveyed between mid-May and early July reported disruptions to family planning and contraception services. The UN Population Fund warned of up to seven million unintended pregnancies worldwide.
\nLockdowns, travel restrictions, supply chain disruptions, the huge shift of health resources to combat COVID-19 and fear of infection continue to prevent many women and girls from care.
\nSome countries did not deem sexual and reproductive health services as essential under lockdown, meaning women and girls were turned away.
\nIndia listed abortions as essential services under lockdown but many were not aware, Dr Shewetangi Shinde, who is part of the India Safe Abortion Youth Advocates organisation said.
\nIn Africa, a surge in teen pregnancies was reported in Kenya, while some young women in Nairobi\u2019s Kibera slum resorted to using broken glass, sticks and pens to try to abort pregnancies, said Diana Kihima with the Women Promotion Center. Two died of their injuries, while some can no longer conceive.
\nIn parts of West Africa, the provision of some contraceptives fell by nearly 50 percent compared with the same period last year, said the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
\nMSI warned that the global figures of women being affected \u201cwill likely be greatly amplified\u201d if services falter elsewhere in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
\nMeanwhile, women\u2019s health providers have scrambled to find solutions such as telemedicine, home deliveries of contraceptives and home-based medical abortions.
\n\u201cIn many countries the worst effects of COVID-19 are yet to come and in others a second wave is on the horizon, but there is an opportunity to use this as a catalytic moment to transform services and make women\u2019s lives better tomorrow than they are today,\u201d Simon Cooke, MSI\u2019s chief executive, said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TLTP LONDON Millions of women and girls globally have lost access to contraceptives and abortion services because of the coronavirus pandemic, as they bear the brunt of the global calamity, warned an international aid group. Across 37 countries, nearly two million fewer women received such services between January and June than in the same period […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n