Abortion in the Middle East and North Africa

Unsafe abortion is one of the most neglected public health challenges in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where an estimated one in four pregnancies are unintended—wanting to have a child later or wanting no more children. Many women with unintended pregnancies resort to clandestine abortions that are not safe. This policy brief explores the public health concerns surrounding abortion in MENA and discusses ways to make it both rarer and safer.