Abortion Service Provision and the Recording of Related Maternal Deaths in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

Blake Erhardt-Ohren, University of California, Berkeley
Ndola Prata, Bixby Center for Population Health and Sustainability, UC Berkeley

One in four of the over 89 million forcibly displaced individuals around the world is someone who can become pregnant. The purpose of this research is to explore how healthcare workers document maternal deaths in the community and in health facilities in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya and to understand their attitudes, beliefs, and practices around abortion provision. We will conduct interviews with healthcare workers and review maternal death records for the past 12 months at select health facilities. This research is currently underway and we expect to present robust qualitative and quantitative results. The study results will contribute to the implementation of successful maternal mortality surveillance activities and measurement refugee camps, in addition to data that can be used to prepare abortion sensitization training for healthcare providers in these populations.