In a bid to halt unnecessary death of women attempting to terminate unwanted pregnancies illegally, Ogun State Government is planning to allow its citizens to have access to safe, legal abortion services.
The State Government has expressed its commitment to implement the Safe Termination of Pregnancy (SToP) guidelines, but within the boundaries permitted by Nigerian law,
The Executive Secretary, Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, made this known yesterday at a seminar organised by the State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Center for Bridging Health Gaps in Abeokuta.
Dr Ogunsola said the implementation of SToP in the state will strengthen the state’s efforts to reduce maternal mortality by ensuring access to medically supervised and rights-based reproductive healthcare services.
He noted that the move aligned with ongoing strategies to address the health and safety risks associated with unsafe abortion, particularly among women in low- and middle-income communities.
Speaking on the theme, “Breaking Barriers to Safe Termination of Pregnancy to Save Lives”, Dr. Ogunsola, emphasised the urgent need to address unsafe abortion as a public health crisis, highlighting that it remained one of the top five direct causes of maternal mortality in Nigeria, with an alarming 97 percent of such cases occurring among women from low and middle-income backgrounds.
He noted that these preventable deaths were often the result of limited access to accurate information, safe services and stigma surrounding reproductive health.
He further affirmed that Ogun Government was committed to working collaboratively with key stakeholders including healthcare professionals, civil society organisations and legal experts, towards strengthening the implementation of SToP guidelines, saying that the right to access safe abortion care, within legal boundaries was supported by provisions in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, revealing that the constitutional backing reinforces the State’s responsibility to protect the health and rights of women and girls through lawful and medically safe reproductive health services.
In her welcome address, Executive Director of the Center for Bridging Health Gaps, Dr. Moriam Jagun, described unsafe abortion as one of the most preventable causes of death, yet one that continued to endanger the lives and futures of vulnerable women and girls.
She noted that across Nigeria and West Africa, discussions around abortion were often hindered by stigma and silence, thus reaffirming the need for a collective commitment to safeguard women's health, rights and dignity through access to safe, legal and quality abortion services.
She called on governments, policymakers, healthcare professionals, legal experts, faith leaders, and civil society groups to work collaboratively in order to improve access to evidence-based, life-saving care, as there were various existing opportunities for women to make choices which are right -based and within the legal framework.
Speaking, during the panel session on ‘Strengthening Abortion Services as Life-saving care’, Director, Citizens Rights Department, Mrs. Oluwakemi Lawal, stated that, cases where abortion could be legally performed included pregnancy that posed a danger to the mother's life or physical health such as rape, cancer, incest among others, also noting that termination should be performed by qualified health professionals in a safe and hygienic condition.
Representative, Society Of Gynecologist and Obsetrician of Nigeria (SOGON), Dr. Olusoji Jagun said a safe abortion upholds women's rights to make informed decisions about their reproductive health without fear of legal repercussions or social stigma, noting that there should be increase public awareness of the Safe Termination of Pregnancy (SToP) guidelines and importance of safe abortion services.
Participants at the Seminar, Mrs. Madinat Aderibigbe and Mr. Adesina Adefolahan urged government to ensure the implementation of the SToP guidelines in reducing Maternal Mortality, providing access to Safe Care and supporting Women's Rights, also advocated for more awareness in schools and on social platforms as well as community awareness through community leaders.
No comments:
Post a Comment