Origins of the FIGO initiative to reduce the burden of unsafe abortion

The origins of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Initiative for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion and its Consequences began in 1969 when a young British medical student encountered a young woman in Canada with complications of unsafe abortion. Through evolving understanding of the context of women’s lives, including the role of family planning and access to safe abortion globally in preventing the deaths and imprisonment of women, I was able to contribute to FIGO’s advocacy through a collaborative initiative with country-led action plans based on a situational analysis. Forty-six member associations rapidly agreed to participate with results of situational analyses—an unprecedented result in FIGO’s history. Professor Anibal Faúndes’ role has been pivotal to the success of this initiative, including the establishment of a working group of regional coordinators and collaborating agencies to oversee the implementation of action plans involving in-country partners and the Ministry of Health. Deaths from unsafe abortion and its complications are preventable.