Malawi abortion law needs reform -COPUA

Coalition for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion (COPUA) says there is need to reform the abortion law in the country to ensure that no woman dies from unsafe abortion.

COPUA’s National Coordinator Chrispine Sibande speaking in Mzuzu on Thursday during a capacity building workshop for northern region based journalists said it is high time the current abortion law is reviewed in line with the recommendation of the African Union through the African Protocol on Women’s Rights and the Maputo Action Plan to which Malawi is a signatory.

Currently, Malawi is one of the countries in the world with the highest maternal mortality with 17 percent of deaths attributable to unsafe abortion.

Statistics also indicate that almost half of the women seen for post abortion care are younger than 25 years with four of five married.

Sibande: Safe abortions
Sibande: Safe abortions

“The law currently is very restrictive to the extent that it only allows abortion to be procured where the life of a woman is in danger,” Sibande observed.

He added: We have a situation in Malawi where many women are dying, many women are losing fertility because of the law on abortion.”

Sibande said Malawi as a country Malawi was losing a lot a lot of money in managing post abortion care than would be the case if the law on abortion is reformed.

“We lose a lot of money while to alternative is to change the law so that women who want to procure abortion should be able to be assisted by doctors, nurses and medical practitioners,” he said.

He then urged journalists to play a key role in disseminating issues about safe abortion to help save the lives of mothers who die.

The capacity building workshop was funded by IPAS.

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