Kenya has one of the highest abortion rates in the world, yet US and religious pressure mean the government is afraid of discussing the issue -- a combination that causes thousands of maternal deaths, according to figures from the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC).
Abortion is illegal in Kenya, but allowed whenever "the life or health of the mother is in danger" -- a loophole wide enough for hundreds of private clinics to operate legally across the East African country.
But it remains taboo for many in the religiously conservative society, and the government refuses to even count how many abortions occur.
So there was shock last year when a study by the Nairobi-based APHRC estimated there were 793,000 abortions in 2023, based on data from health clinics and interviews with doctors and patients.
Patchy data makes comparisons tricky, but that is likely one of the highest rates in the world.
