Background
The term abortion refers to the termination of pregnancy or expulsion of the foetus before it can survive outside the uterus, which can be either spontaneous (i.e. a miscarriage) or induced. Induced abortions are currently illegal in Uganda, meaning they are often done using unsafe methods which is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. At Nsambya hospital, incomplete abortions are a significant contributor to the number of admissions to the gynaecology wards. The standard method of treating this is by using sharp curettage to scrape out the remains from inside the uterus. This is done despite the fact that there is an alternative method, manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), which is both safer and less costly.

About the project
This project was created to implement the use of MVA in post-abortion care at Nsambya hospital. The project team trained the health providers to perform MVA and purchased all necessary equipment and supplies. Patients with incomplete abortions, who met the criteria for MVA, were then selected and received counselling and treatment by the health workers and the project team.

Results
By the end of the project, 60% of the hospital staff were trained and 40 women had been treated using MVA. Out of this group, 35 returned for a check-up afterwards and none of them had any complications, which showed that the procedures had been done successfully. Women treated with MVA were discharged from the hospital around 8 hours afterwards, which was a great improvement compared to the 24-hour waiting time for patients treated using curettage.

Year: 2006