Task sharing in abortion care in Latin America

Abstract

Unsafe abortion remains a major public health and human rights challenge in Latin America, despite recent reforms that have expanded the legal grounds for abortion in several countries. A central reason for the persistent gap between law and access is the region's widespread reliance on physician-exclusive provider models, which structurally limit the availability of services, particularly in rural, Indigenous, and primary-care settings where specialists are scarce. Task sharing in abortion care should be understood not as a discretionary efficiency strategy, but as an essential component of States' obligations under legal rights to health care, equality, life, and scientific progress. A review of global evidence, a comparative analysis of legal and regulatory frameworks in 14 countries, and an in-depth examination of emerging reforms in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Ecuador show that expanding provider eligibility is both clinically safe and normatively required. The conclusion outlines a regional reform agenda for aligning domestic regulations with World Health Organization standards.