Improving Access to Comprehensive Abortion Care in India with Focus on Expanding Provider Base

Policy brief : This policy brief has been developed in consultation with experts in India after a careful review of the Indian context and mapping it with the WHO Guidelines on ‘Health worker roles in providing safe abortion care and post-abortion contraception’ released in 2015. The policy brief highlights legal and policy recommendations for strengthening women’s access to comprehensive abortion care in India.

Background note : The process of drafting the policy brief involved a process of document review and consultation with experts. The first product in this process was the background note that includes the mapping of current abortion-related legal and policy landscape in India against the recommendation of the WHO Guidelines as well as mapping and matching of health workers cadres in India with the WHO Guidelines. The background note was shared with experts in the first expert group consultation and updated with their comments. The final background note is a comprehensive document that provides detailed information on the mapping.

Discussion note : The key legal and policy recommendations for improving women’s access to comprehensive abortion care with reference to the recommendations in the WHO Guidelines were extracted from the final background note and formed the basis for discussion at the second consultation. The final discussion note with the expert opinions incorporated is a document that provides detailed information on recommendations for health worker roles in India for safe abortion care and post-abortion contraception.