Guide outlines new product that may improve access to safe abortion

Improving access to safe abortion services is a public health imperative. Medical abortion—ending a pregnancy by taking medication rather than through surgical intervention such as vacuum aspiration—may be one way to help women get the safe services they need.

Until recently, the two medications most widely approved for safe and effective medical abortion—mifepristone and misoprostol—were packaged and licensed separately. Now, the Concept Foundation, in collaboration with government health agencies and nongovernmental organizations, is licensing and packaging the two medications together as one product: Medabon®. The Concept Foundation, which focuses on increasing availability and choice of pharmaceutical products in developing countries, is introducing Medabon® in 9 countries, including Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, and Moldova, and plans to introduce the product in 20 more countries over the next few years.

The Medabon® regimen has been tested in large, multinational clinical trials undertaken by the World Health Organization, and its use is consistent with international guidance on safe and effective medical abortion. By increasing the options available to women, Medabon® has the potential to improve access to safe and early abortion services. In addition, Medabon® promises to provide women, especially those in developing countries, with a more affordable and convenient product.

Guidelines for the new product

PATH has joined with the Concept Foundation and Ipas, a nonprofit organization working to advance women’s reproductive rights and reduce abortion-related deaths and injuries, to produce an information package that helps health care providers, program managers, policymakers, the media, and women understand the new product. Funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Medabon® for Medical Abortion: Resource Materials for Health Care Providers and Program Managers includes:

• Guidelines detailing evidence-based regimens and protocols for administering Medabon®.
• A brochure for women considering Medabon®.
• Answers to frequently asked questions about the product.
• A framework to guide policymakers through a systematic approach to introducing Medabon® in their country.
• Guidelines for emergency-care providers who may treat a woman experiencing complications from medical abortion.
• Key talking points for public health officials involved in public outreach.
• Sample illustrations that can be adapted for low-literacy settings.
• Notes for program managers adapting these materials to ensure that target audiences, education, literacy levels, and local knowledge and perceptions of medical abortion are taken into account.
• Additional references and resources for more information on medical abortion.

See our publications catalog for PDFs of Medabon® for Medical Abortion: Resource Materials for Health Care Providers and Program Managers. Printed copies can be requested by emailing the Concept Foundation at medabon@conceptfoundation.org.

Illustration: Concept Foundation, Ipas, PATH.