NAIROBI, Oct 10, 01 (CWNews.com) - Despite a proposal by some groups to legalize abortion in Kenya, citing clandestine abortion as a leading cause of maternal deaths in Kenya, pro-life groups reject the claim that legalization is a better solution.
The proposal is contained in a 100 page document titled, Family Health Program Report, prepared by a team appointed by the Health Standards and Regulatory Services Department of the Ministry of Health and is currently undergoing a one-month scrutiny.
The controversial report says, in part, "in keeping with international trends, elective abortion on request should be available with suitable safeguards to enable such abortion to be performed by doctors or certified health workers who will also give post-abortion care and follow-up."
On Tuesday, the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Children (SPUC), an international pro-life group, criticized the proposal, urging the government not to bow to pressure to legalize abortion. SPUC secretary Dominic Baster said legalizing abortions would not solve the problem of unplanned pregnancies in the country.
He argued that pressure was being exerted on Third World countries to accept abortion in the guise of medical and social progress. He explained that in countries where abortion had been legalized statistics showed that teen pregnancies and complications due to abortion increased in number. He said abortion continued to be a leading cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and psychological trauma.
The Kenya constitution only permits abortion for the preservation of the mother's life.
CWN - Catholic World News
10. oktober 2001