Storeng K. T. auteur aut IRD Ouattara Fatoumata auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access In Burkina Faso, abortion is legally restricted and socially stigmatised, but also frequent. Unsafe abortions represent a significant public health challenge, contributing to the country's very high maternal mortality ratio. Inspired by an internationally disseminated public health framing of unsafe abortion, the country's main policy response has been to provide post-abortion care (PAC) to avert deaths from abortion complications. Drawing on ethnographic research, this article describes how Burkina Faso's PAC policy emerged at the interface of political and moral negotiations between public health professionals, national bureaucrats and international agencies and NGOs. Burkinabe decision-makers and doctors, who are often hostile to induced abortion, have been convinced that PAC is life-saving care' which should be delivered for ethical medical reasons. Moreover, by supporting PAC they not only demonstrate compliance with international standards but also, importantly, do not have to contend with any change in abortion legislation, which they oppose. Rights-based international NGOs, in turn, tactically focus on PAC as a first step' towards their broader institutional objective to secure safe abortion and abortion rights. Such negotiations between national and international actors result in widespread support for PAC but stifled debate about further legalisation of abortion. specialized abortion politics Burkina Faso global local ethnography BURKINA FASO 056 108 9 8 946-959 2014 1744-1692 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062556 10.1080/17441692.2014.937828 1744-1692 [F B010062556] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062556 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2014/10/010062556.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2014-11-04 2017-08-23 fdi:010062556 fre