Government health facilities continue to register more women and girls seeking post-abortion care after experiencing difficulties from illegal abortions in spite of stringent rules, Media Reports indicate.
Nsanje has registered 350 abortions recorded in health facilities in the district, a medical worker has said.
According to Edna Samata, the district's Post Abortion Care Coordinator out of the 350 abortions, 42 were induced, three therapeutic, and the rest spontaneous.
She highlighted a steady rate of cases, with 179 reported in the first half of last year and 171 in the first half of this year.
Edna told Zodiak News Online that there was an urgent need to promote safe abortion practices, pointing to the growing family planning services and increasing community awareness as key factors in this fight.
To address challenges in care, the Kachere Progressive Women's Group (KPWG) organized a two-day training for the District Health Management Team (DHMT).
This training focused on confronting provider stigma, judgment, and discrimination faced by women seeking sexual reproductive health services.
One participant, Medical Assistant Sangalatso Kumbukani from Tengani Health Centre, observed that while people’s attitudes vary, those trained in post-abortion care are committed to treating clients with respect and support rather than judgment.
Legal Framework
Access to safe abortion in Malawi is restricted and those wishing to get the services must meet some conditions namely threat to physical and mental life of the pregnant person.
The High Court of Malawi in October 2025 issued a landmark ruling affirming that adolescent survivors of sexual violence have the right to automatically access safe abortion services.
Refusing care to these survivors of sexual violence violates the Gender Equality Act and inflicts unlawful pain and suffering, the court ruled.
It also ordered the Ministry of Health to update post-abortion care guidelines, train medical workers, and strengthen accountability.
The case stemmed from an action supported by organizations like the Nyale Institute after a young rape survivor was initially denied treatment.
Despite the landmark ruling, a legal commentator Mateyu Sisya says implementation has been slow and inconsistent.
"It is worrisome that despite the judgment there has not been any meaningful or tangible work done to review the Standards and Guidelines for Post-Abortion Care of 2020 as ordered by the court within 180 days,” he said.
He added: “We are concerned that health service providers have not been trained by the government as required, despite the lapse of the court-imposed deadline.”
An estimated 141,000 induced abortions occur annually in Malawi, translating to a national rate of roughly 31 to 38 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–49
Solutions
Centre for Solutions Journalism says the problem of unsafe abortion can be reduced through a number of interventions including full operationalization of the recent High Court ruling.
“The ruling affirming safe abortion access for survivors of sexual violence under the Gender Equality Act is the first step in removing clinical ambiguity and needs to be fully implemented,” says CSJ Executive Director Brian Ligomeka.
”There is also need to pass liberalized legislation by improving the Malawi Law Commission's proposed Termination of Pregnancy Bill,: he added.
He explained that there was also need to expand provision of Post-Abortion Care (PAC): by procuring essential medical equipment and train healthcare workers across all district hospitals to treat abortion complications safely.
He commended the government for all initiatives rolled so far including the provision of Youth-Friendly Services and Post Abortion Care units in almost all the district hospitals.