Kampala — Doctors are still divided over whether abortion should be legalised in Uganda, reports Anne Mugisa and Joan Mugenzi.

Members of the Uganda Medical Association on Thursday held a debate on the contentious issue at the Mulago Makerere University Medical School.

The majority of the doctors at the debate were against legalising abortion, saying it was evil and an outright killing of life while those for it said women should be allowed to choose. The pro-abortion debaters said many illegal abortions are carried out sometimes resulting in deaths or permanent injuries to women.

The meeting was the first of a series which will also discuss other issues like assisted suicide (euthanasia) and doctors examining the condemned prisoners.

Dr. Dickson Opol, the main proposer of the pro-abortion motion, said the zygote is not human and that life does not begin at conception.

"We must preserve life, but specifically human life. We must differentiate between biological and human life," Opol said.

"Millions of sperm cells are poured away and the women's ova are discarded every month, how do you just point out only the one that has been fertilised and you say you must protect it," he said.

But Dr. Jack Jjaggwe, the main opposer and those who shared his view, said life begins on conception and must be protected. Jjaggwe said abortion is murder and contravenes the ethics of the medical profession.

He said women on whom abortion is performed always suffer psychological effects and they and the doctors are haunted by the act. He said abortion is degradation of life which is against the doctors' oath which enjoins them to uphold life.

The doctors opposed to abortion maintained that sex should be a responsible act and those who misuse it should not escape by victimising the defenceless unborn child. They said the driving force behind abortion was graft.