Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
26 June 2007
Maputo — Abortion could soon be legal in predominantly Catholic Mozambique if parliament endorses a new bill recently approved by the Council of Ministers.
Afrol News reported that unsafe abortion is not only a problem in Mozambique, but throughout Africa where an estimated 4.2 million cases are reported each year, most of them illegal.
Mozambique's current laws criminalise abortion, except in some circumstances, for example, when the mother's life is in danger or she does not have the physical and mental ability to care for a child.
Some health centres conduct abortion for a fee. But the fee-based services are out of reach for many poor women who turn to backyard clinics where they illegally abort in unsafe conditions.
The proposed bill was opposed by the Catholic bishops of Mozambique when they gathered for their first plenary assembly of 2007 in Maputo in mid-April.
The bishops drafted a special statement stating, "abortion is a serious sin, a crime against life in Mozambique. It is an act contrary to this nation which has a vast territory and immensely rich resources to develop through population growth for the common good."
Proponents of the bill - mainly non-governmental organisations working in the reproductive health sector, women's organisations and some parliamentarians and other government officials - argue that freedom of choice safeguards the health and welfare of women.
Although in Mozambique there are no readily available statistics, it is estimated that thousands of women die or suffer serious complications every year as a result of trying to abort at the hands of an untrained health provider in unhygienic conditions.
As the country waits the passing of the law, government and civic organisations are urged by activists to "take their time to learn for the experiences of countries like South Africa," where abortion is legal.
Abortion in South Africa was legalised through the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, which came into effect on 1 February 1997. The law allows termination of pregnancy on request through the 12th week of pregnancy, under specified circumstances from the 13th through the 20th weeks, and under very limited circumstances beyond that point.
In South Africa, implementation of the law on a national scale and in a rapid manner was said to "have saved many lives."
A number of African countries have undertaken abortion law reform in the past decade, although they have not introduced changes as sweeping as South Africa.
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