Portraits of compassion: Abortion providers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis
As lockdowns are instituted around the world, reproductive healthcare services are sometimes considered ‘non-essential’. This could not be further from the truth: safe abortion and contraception provides vital, life-saving care to women. MSI is doing everything we can to continue serving our clients, from providing information virtually to calling on governments to re-open centers. Meet some of the healthcare providers doing their part to save lives and ensure that women can control their own futures:
Ghana
When a lockdown was instituted in Ghana, many women became concerned about how they would access safe abortion and contraception. MSI’s Ghana office quickly mobilized to meet these women’s needs. Team members were set up from home with laptops and a communication system to receive calls — and in no time at all, the calls started pouring in.
On the first day of the lockdown, they received a record number of 422 calls in one day, far more than the 140 calls they get on a typical day. Additionally, they supported 231 people over social media, where the team was pushing an awareness advocacy campaign. The team worked hard to connect clients with healthcare, making 88 referrals to medical services. Without this call center, many women, not knowing where to turn, would be forced to go without life-saving reproductive health services.
India
Despites advisories from major gynecological societies indicating that abortion is a time-sensitive and emergency healthcare procedure, the Indian government classified reproductive healthcare clinics as non-essential during the lockdown. The consequences of this were dire: Indian women, left without access to safe abortion and contraception, would be forced to have children they do not want and cannot afford. Women, especially those in rural areas, would bear the greatest burden of the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID pandemic, like we have seen in other disease outbreaks, will impact women disproportionately and intensify gender inequalities. As India remains on lockdown, vulnerable women who are living with violent partners, women with disabilities and poor and marginalized women face an increased risk of marginalization.” — VS Chandrashekar, CEO at MSI India
Luckily, after a campaign by MSI’s India staff and the Indian reproductive rights community, the Indian government changed its stance, allowing MSI’s centers in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to continue operations.
Nepal
“In times of disasters, such as the earthquake of 2015 and this current pandemic, women seem to bear the grunt of health facilities being overwhelmed or closed” — Hima Mishra, Contact Center Assistant Manager at MSI Nepal
In mid-March, the Nepalese government announced a national lockdown, forcing MSI centers to close. Despite this lockdown, demand for our services did not decrease. Women called into MSI, desperate for access to safe abortion services within the 12-week gestation limit.
“This woman was crying on the phone. When will your services restart? Can you please book the first appointment for me? I don’t want to cross the threshold for abortion, and I cannot afford to have another child. Please help me! It really broke my heart not to have an affirmative answer for her.” –Sarita Ojha, MSI contact center staff member
After a grassroots campaign, MSI was able to obtain a government permit to reopen several centers in Nepal. Our team there continues to work hard to reopen additional medical centers, providing women with the healthcare services they desperately need to survive this crisis.
For more information on the impact that COVID-19 is having on our services, please see our website. Together, we're working to ensure women can access the care they need through this pandemic.
