Preference for manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and its use for the treatment of incomplete abortion were evaluated among 52 healthcare professionals in 7 Yaoundé hospitals in Cameroon. All but one healthcare professional preferred MVA; however, this technique was available at all times in only two hospitals. In some hospitals, MVA use was only available during the day, while in others it was not available at all. Based on these findings, MVA kits were obtained from the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) for training and to supply selected hospitals. The result was a dramatic increase in the use of MVA in all of the hospitals that received the kits. In one hospital, no kits were received; however, the staff had been sensitized to the problem and the equipment belonging to one of the physicians was put into service. The successful experience of this pilot project provides a rationale for expanding MVA use for incomplete abortion to the entire country.
Keywords: Cameroon; FIGO initiative; Incomplete abortion; Manual vacuum aspiration; Postabortion care; Prevention; Sharp curettage; Unsafe abortion.
Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.