On September 5th, 2024, MDFC hosted an interactive session with young female graduates to
explore the AASAP Finder platform, focusing on its chatbot for safe abortion services.
The session aimed to introduce the platform, gather user feedback, and identify challenges and opportunities in
accessing safe abortion services through digital tools. Participants, many of whom work in
healthcare, highlighted issues such as the ineligibility of some facilities to provide services, societal
stigma, and logistical hurdles faced by service seekers.
Testing the chatbot revealed its strengths, such as multilingual support, confidentiality, and direct linkage to providers, alongside challenges like smartphone accessibility, performance under high usage, and lengthy responses. Recommendations included introducing a USSD system for non-smartphone users, expanding
language options, adding follow-up mechanisms, and optimizing chatbot performance. The session
provided actionable insights to improve the platform’s accessibility and user experience, reinforcing
its role in facilitating access to safe abortion services.
