By Crispina Taylor
Sierra Leone government spends US$230, 000 yearly to treat postpartum complications, mostly as a result of unsafe abortion, a civil society activist said on Tuesday.
Valerie Tucker, Country Representative for Ipas Sierra Leone, an organization championing women’s reproductive health issues, told MPs that this money could be better used in preventing these complications and spent on some other pressing national priorities.
Ipas, with an origin in the United States, seeks to increase women's ability to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights, with particular focus on eliminating deaths and injuries from unsafe abortion. In Sierra Leone the organization has been championing the replacement of a pre-colonial law that prohibits abortion.
The organization, with support from partners, has drafted a bill that seeks to amend the 1861 law.
At a pre-legislative session on Tuesday 1st December in parliament, the Safe Abortion Bill was the subject of discussion. Ms Tucker was summoned to enlighten members on details of the piece of legislation.
The bill, as it currently stands, will decriminalize abortion.
It notably provides for women to have safe abortion, with doctor’s advice, if the pregnancy is life threatening, or if the woman is impregnated through rape or out of incest.
The doctor will also by law have option to not perform the abortion if it’s against his/her conscience, but should provide alternative that will save the woman’s life.
Also the safe abortion bill provides for access for women to safe family planning.
The bill is a major leap following the ratification of the Maputo Protocol early this year, which entails a number of reforms around the rights and liberties of women.
“Women should be protected and given the right to live healthy lives,” Tucker told the MPs, noting that the bill is for those who are violated.
She said with rape on the increase in the country and the taboo of reproductive health education to school going children, coupled with lack of access to family planning, incidences of un-safe abortion leading to deaths were bound to increase.
Tucker said therefore if the bill is ratified it would save women from dying.
Various MPs, who commented at the session, expressed support for the bill which is likely to be passed on Thursday.
(C) Politico Online 01/12/15
