Evidence Brief: Abortion Incidence and Severity of Related-Complications in Liberia

Abstract

Unsafe abortion, defined as pregnancy termination carried out by unskilled providers or in unsafe conditions, or both, remains a leading cause of maternal illness and death and places significant strain on health system resources. In Liberia, where abortion is heavily restricted by law, limited scientific evidence has existed on the circumstances in which women seek unsafe abortions, the scale of the problem, and the resulting complications. This evidence brief summarizes findings from a nationwide abortion study conducted in Liberia in 2021, which set out to estimate the incidence of induced abortion and the severity of related complications across the country. The study was carried out jointly with national health authorities and international partners and provides some of the first nationally representative evidence on this topic in Liberia. The brief highlights the scale of unsafe abortion, the profile of women affected, and the burden it places on the health system, situating these findings within Liberia's ongoing efforts to reform its abortion-related legal framework. It concludes that improved access to safe abortion and post-abortion care services is critical to reducing maternal deaths and addressing the persistent gap between restrictive law and the lived realities of Liberian women.