Dataset: Measuring abortion incidence, severity of complications, and health facilities’ capacity to provide abortion care in refugee settings in Uganda, Baobab Study
Document Type
Data Set
Publication Date
7-30-2025
Abstract
Background: Sparse evidence is available to support improved programming and reporting on SRHR in refugee settings in the East and Horn of Africa, where unsafe abortion is one of the major causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. It is important to design studies that explicitly investigate the sexual and reproductive health needs and outcomes of refugee populations, as it is likely that these factors differ among refugee populations as compared to the general population. Understanding the state of abortion in a given context, including abortion incidence, safety, and outcomes, is challenging due to the limitations of currently available methodologies. Objectives: To determine the incidence of induced abortions and the severity of abortion-related complications in refugee settings in Uganda. Methods: The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional design. The study components included three separate surveys. Although the study was not nationally representative, efforts were made to ensure representativeness at the refugee settlement/camp level : i) representative Health Facility Survey (HFS) to estimate the number of women who receive post-abortion care (PAC) following abortion complications, ii) a Knowledgeable Informants Survey (KIS) to capture information on the proportion of all women having abortions who receive facility-based treatment for abortion-related complications, and iv) a Prospective Morbidity Survey (PMS) to capture information necessary to describe characteristics of women receiving treatment for abortion complications, the severity of complications, the type of treatment received, and the delays in access to PAC. The PMS also included clinical data abstraction from the medical records. Potential Impact: This will help host governments, humanitarian partners, and donors to seek long-term, innovative, cost-effective SRHR development solutions to bring about change in the health and lives of refugee women and girls.
Recommended Citation
Wado, Yohannes Dibaba. 2025. "Measuring abortion incidence, severity of complications, and health facilities’ capacity to provide abortion care in refugee settings in Uganda, Baobab Study," dataset. African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC).
DOI
10.60719/aphrc-2025-065
Language
English
Project
Baobab: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Refugee Settings
Study documentation
Comments
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