Abortion is illegal in Tanzania except to preserve the life of the mother. Under the Tanzanian penal code, health practitioners who perform illegal abortions may receive sentences of up to 14 years in prison, while those who procure abortions for themselves may be sentenced to up to seven years in prison.
It is estimated that there were 405,000 induced abortions in Tanzania in 2013. Due to fears of prosecution, women procure abortions clandestinely, often in conditions that are unsafe. Tanzania has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world, with unsafe abortions being one of the leading causes of maternal death. The availability of the medication misoprostol has led to increased access to safe abortion.
While Tanzania is a signatory to the Maputo Protocol, it has not adopted legislation that would allow abortion in cases of pregnancy from rape, incest, or risk of harm to the mental and physical health of the mother. A Safe Motherhood Bill that would have aligned Tanzanian law with the Maputo Protocol was rejected by the National Assembly in 2012.