Abortion and maternal mortality in Africa.

To the Editor: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 5 million unsafe abortions are performed annually in Africa, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 34,000 women.1 In Africa, abortion is illegal or very restricted, making it difficult to estimate the number of procedures performed or the frequency of associated complications including death.2,3 In a large African multicenter study, we assessed the contribution of complications of abortion to maternal mortality. From May to October 1999, we prospectively enrolled all women admitted within 15 weeks after their last menstrual period for conditions including ectopic pregnancy, complications of spontaneous abortion, . . .