The right to abortion is an argumentative issue not only in developing but also in developed countries. Maternal health is in a critical scenario because of illegal abortion practices undertaken by women. Some Ethiopian women are forced to make abortion through harmful ways. This puts the women’s lives at risk.
As the result of this, there are few hospitals that allow abortion to save the lives of mothers. Population density has also its own dysfunctional impact on new born babies and maternal healthcare. Though population density has not been taken as a resource in developing countries, including Ethiopia, such countries should do something to reduce the demerit of high population rate.
Family planning is one of the mechanisms in taking care of new born babies and maternal health. Among the international organizations that work on family planning, baby and maternal health care is found Marie Stopes International. It has been engaged in the activity of family planning and gender parity. Mindful of this, The Ethiopian Herald has just approached Country Director of Marie Stopes in Ethiopia, Risha Hess, to shed light on the performance of Marie Stopes in Ethiopia. Excerpts:
Herald: Could you tell us about the backdrop of the organization?
Risha: Marie Stopes was founded thirty years ago when it opened its first clinic in Arada, fuelled by a mission of Children by choice, not chance.
Today we run 17 SRH clinics, 4 maternity centers, 3 outreach teams to bring free services to communities who otherwise don’t have access, and we work with a franchised network of over 300 BlueStar private clinics.
We also work to support the public sector to ensure quality of and access to sexual and reproductive health services. We run a toll-free call center (8044) which is managed by nurses and health officers.
Our goal over the next ten years is to eliminate unsafe abortion in the country and meet the need for family planning services. So we try to reach women wherever and however they need services.
Marie Stopes in Ethiopia is unique in its social business approach. We are formed in Ethiopia to be a charity, but we recognize that domestic financing is crucial to our sustainability. And when money comes directly from clients, rather than outside donors, it ensures our focus stays on client care and client satisfaction.
So our clinics charge fees and any profit is taxed and then transferred to the charity wing to allow us to provide free services for those who cannot afford.
Herald: What relations does your organization have with other governmental, non-governmental and regional organizations?
Risha: As a health services organization, we click with the Federal Ministry of Health and regional, woreda and zonal health bureaus. We also work with Women and Children’s Affairs, FMHACA/EFDA, Charities, EPHI, regional BoFEDs, Trade and Industry, etc.
We work very closely with many other SRH organizations in country as well as safe houses, women and youth organizations and others working with those with high needs.
Herald: In what ways do the governmental organizations help your organizations to achieve satisfactory results in the sub-sector of health?
Risha: Government crosschecks whether we are adhering to guidelines; clinically through annual inspections, drug testing/ import and storage as well as in terms of how we run our income-generating activities all are supervised, monitored and ensured by different government departments.
By working with the various technical working groups in the country, the government is also ensuring that our national guidelines are based on the latest science and global recommendations.
Herald: What kind of activities does your organization render?
Risha: We try to reach women, girls and families wherever and how they need it. So we work with both private and public sector clinics to ensure access to and quality of SRH and maternal & newborn care services.
We see gaps in outreaching rural areas. So we try to bridge the gap, with support of MoH and regional health bureaus, through our mobile outreach teams.
We work with big employers, such as flower farms and industrial parks to ensure their employees are able to access SRH services and ensure effective gender-based violence prevention and interventions.
We also partner with local safe houses, HIV support groups, women’s groups and among others, to identify groups that need free services and let them know how to access. Our SRH hotline (8044) provides counseling and referrals to over 7,000 callers a month.
Herald: Tell us about your organization roles in saving the lives of mother and infants, particularly, in rural areas of Ethiopia?
Risha: In 2019, Marie Stopes in Ethiopia prevented an estimated 1,200 maternal deaths, through safe deliveries, from preventing unintended pregnancies through family planning and preventing unsafe abortions by providing safe and legal comprehensive abortion care and preventing the pregnancy in the first place. Our main work in rural areas is through support of HEWs and health centers as well as through our mobile outreach teams.
Herald: What is your argumentative issue on the right of abortion to be enshrined in the Ethiopian constitution?
Risha: We are not a political organization, we will work through whatever legal options are available, whether that’s in the constitution or not. What’s important to us is that women have the legal opportunities to access safe abortion as we know that unsafe abortions cost lives.
Prior to the change in abortion law in 2009, the leading cause of maternal mortality was unsafe abortion. After the changes, the maternal mortality ratio in Ethiopia is downsized by half.
Herald: What do you think about the increment of population density for all-rounded development of the country?
Risha: While population puts stress on governments and societies in terms of climate, jobs availability and providing health care and education to everyone, we do not advocate for population control.
Over a third of all pregnancies in Ethiopia were wanted later or not at all. This means that if we help women and families plan when they have children, they can plan what’s best for them.
Herald: Do you think population increment has its own disadvantages and advantageous impact on human society in general? If yes, brief us about that?
Risha: We all know that large populations can stress government support systems, harm the climate and result in overuse of resources, but we are a health and rights-based organization.
Population control often limits the rights of women and so this is not our area of focus.
Our focus is on ensuring that every girl, woman and family is able to access the services and products she wants and needs. This alone could have transformative results.
Herald: Tell us about other developed countries’ experiences in handling population density and as well as saving the lives of mother and born baby?
Risha: In many ways Ethiopia is at the forefront of address maternal and child health. By building a strong and capable Health Extension program, it has given access to health services to many families who would otherwise not be reached.
This model has been held up as a best practice for other countries. Additionally, Ethiopia has shown that it will follow the science to ensure that women have access to life-saving services.
Herald: What are you activities for the betterment of lives of next generation?
Risha: When we live in a world where every child is wanted, those children grow up in homes that are prepared to take care of and love them.
The Ethiopian Herald July 26, 2020
BY MEHARI BEYENE
