PHA-Exchange> Abortion in Africa

[claudio at hcmc.netnam.vn]

http://www.ghanaian-chronicle.com/thestory.asp?id=12022
 
Abortion generates contention at AU Conference -Prof. Akosa laments its
contribution to maternal mortality in Ghana ...And AU approves PoA to
address SRH on Africa continent

By Phyllis D. Osabutey | Posted: Friday, September 29, 2006

THE DIERECTOR-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Professor Agyemang
Badu Akosa has lamented the rate of maternal mortality resulting from unsafe
abortion, particularly in Ghana and on the African continent as a whole. 
According to Prof. Akosa, who participated in the just-ended special session
of Africa Union ministers of states and experts on the provision of sexual
reproductive health (SRH) services in Africa, a research conducted by him
showed that death resulting from unsafe abortion constituted about thirty
percent (30%) of maternal mortality. 

I n an interview with The Chronicle in Maputo last week, he said if Africa
and Ghana for that matter were to attain the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) in the area of SRH and unsafe abortion in particular, then there was
the need for the problem to be tackled comprehensively at all levels of
health care delivery. 

The issue of abortion generated contention among member states at the Africa
Union (AU) conference and after long debate; consensus reached was that the
issue of abortion should be addressed within the laws of each country with a
focus on providing comprehensive contraception and family planning services
to prevent unwanted pregnancies. 

Though Prof. Akosa was in agreement that the issue be addressed at the
country level, he expressed disappointment that the issue was not discussed
comprehensively at the AU conference where they were to share experiences. 

He questioned why most African nations were still applying colonial laws in
dealing with the issue while most of their colonial masters had changed
their abortion laws long ago. 

As to the way forward, he noted there was the need for Africa to identify
its own problems and address them appropriately no matter the cost and
expressed the hope that all AU members would return home to confront the
issues squarely since Ghana was prepared to do so. 

Meanwhile, the AU last Thursday adopted a Plan of Action (PoA) for the
Operationalization of the Continental Policy Framework for Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights to address the (SRH) needs of all on the
continent, including the issue of unsafe abortion. 

It was noted in the PoA that, "African countries are not likely to achieve
the millennium development goals without significant improvements in the
sexual and reproductive health of the people of Africa." 

The PoA has no binding on member states but there were
basic indicators to determine which countries were doing well, saying, "it
shows the best way to implement health plans to achieve the MDGs and
harmonize countries across the continent in the area of sexual reproductive
health." 





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