Population Council Research that makes a difference

The Council is a member of India’s Consortium on Comprehensive Abortion Care. One of the key activities of the Consortium has been to design and implement a project to reduce demand- and supply-side constraints to women’s access to safe abortion. The Council aims to evaluate the extent to which this model was effective in expanding access to abortion as well as, more particularly, raising women’s awareness of abortion, reducing delays in seeking an abortion, and enhancing facility and provider readiness to provide abortion.

The goal of this project is to increase access to legal, safe, and comprehensive abortion services, including postabortion family planning, in the public health system in rural India.  The Consortium on Comprehensive Abortion Care aims to:

• strengthen the capacity of district hospitals and community and primary health centers to offer abortion services;
• enhance women’s awareness and recognition of their right to seek abortion; and
• make recommendations for change in policies, laws, and programs that are currently restricting access to safe abortion care in India.
  
  

These aims were a collaborative effort among consortium members. One of the key responsibilities of the Council was to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive abortion care model that was implemented in Maharashtra and Rajasthan using a quasi-experimental design. The Council completed a baseline assessment and is currently conducting an end-line survey.