[afro-nets] Abortion generates contention at AU Conference

["Claudio Schuftan" <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

Abortion generates contention at AU Conference
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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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Claudio Schuftan
mailto:claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn