Unsafe abortion is a significant contributor to high maternal mortality in Zambia, the Ministry of Health has observed.In a speech read for him during a meeting on the findings of the operations research on unsafe abortion in Zambia this week, Minister of Health Joseph Kasonde said unsafe abortion contributes about 30 percent to maternal deaths in Zambia.
The research was conducted by IPAS, a global non-governmental organisation dedicated to ending preventable deaths and disabilities from unsafe abortion. Dr Kasonde said it is imperative to address the scourge if the country is to stop women from dying unnecessarily and also to attain the millennium development goal (MDG) number 5 on maternal health.
“Unsafe aborting is one of the causes of maternal mortality. The issues surrounding abortion are not well known because of the stigma that is associated with it. Many women are dying from unsafe abortion whilst society is watching and putting the blame on the innocent woman, the Minister said.
Dr Kasonde said his ministry is happy that IPAS has been providing the technical and financial assistance for carrying out safe abortions.Being an emotive issue, abortion has continued to be shrouded in controversy resulting in women dying or suffering complications due to unsafe abortion.
And IPAS Zambia says the activities it is carrying out on safe abortion in Lusaka and other towns countrywide are paying off. “Ensuring access to safe, legal abortion care and preventing unsafe abortions and unwanted pregnancies could save Zambian women‘s health and save the country thousands of dollars,” Felicia Sakala said. Ms Sakala says her organisation believes that every woman has the right to safe reproductive health choices, including safe abortion care, adding that with abortion being legal in Zambia no woman should have to risk her life, health, fertility, or her well-being and that of her family because she lacks reproductive health care.“Women have reproductive rights and it is important to recognise them. Women everywhere must have the opportunity to determine their future, care for their families and manage their fertility,” she said.
Anti abortionist
June 23, 2012 at 10:59 am
They are actually murderers in short form!!
HH
June 23, 2012 at 11:06 am
HH means hakaivotele humwine
Tupac
June 23, 2012 at 11:44 am
What do you expect in a country where people start drinking as early as 06:00hrs,girls reaching puberty as early as 10yrs and boys smoking,drinking&knowing how to **** as early as 12yrs.Though napela umwaice nalimukanya ukufumya ati nkakukakisha cause I respect life.
Rated
June 23, 2012 at 12:02 pm
THESE GALS WHO ABOTE SHUD THINK TWICE B4 OPENING THEIR LEGS FOR MISIONERY,DOGY AND NINJA WORRIOR POSITIONS. SPERM TEYAKUBUTILAKO FIKALAFWILAKUMO WHEN ABOTING LWAFIKO. ****
Ubunyo
June 23, 2012 at 12:26 pm
How is the aborter (the woman who aborts) INNOCENT?…whther there is stigma or not they take medicine on their own unless theyb are forced.In wish HH was aborted coz it seems they did not plan to have him…LOL!
Tomba Tomba Butha
June 23, 2012 at 12:39 pm
It has aslo contributed significantly to high maternal mortality in UNPD…This is according to UPND spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa..The reason is that women are afraid of givin birth to pipo like HH…Comment fro Tonga Bull and HH adviser Douglass Sykalima proved futile as their phones went off…BY staff reporter Zambia Wtachdog.
Virgin Nkote
June 23, 2012 at 12:44 pm
@ Ubunyo and Tomba Tomba Butha….Thanks for the update and I hope MOH is aware of the same development..
kakolwe
June 23, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Actually, the biggest punishment that the abortionist has to endure is actually having to live with it. The shed blood. Sad indeed.
Shax da vapour
June 23, 2012 at 2:13 pm
@ ubunyo,i totally agree wth u my brother,he rily shud hav bin arboted.
GunnerME
June 23, 2012 at 2:30 pm
I thought the article is about abortions & NOT HH??? Anyway nipa zed! @Tupac, you ve hit the nail on top of its head! Most people especially youths & in particular our sisters are living carelessly. We can have the best health care services in the world but if our minds remain corrupted, we shall remain with these social ills for many years to come!
Janet c
June 23, 2012 at 2:32 pm
This is great news – at long last abortion is legal in Zambia. Too many girls and women have died from botched, back street abortions. Ba Minister I beg you – plse educate the girls at unza, nipa, zicas – plse tell them they can have a safe abortion so that we stop seeing dead foetuses in the toilets or in the dustbins – ba PF you are truly at work, viva legal abortion for those women that choose to abort. My only word of caution – abortion should not be allowed beyond 3 months pregnancy.
TimZ
June 23, 2012 at 3:28 pm
As we talk about safe abortion, we need also to be talking about family planning & safer sex. We also need to have highly qualified councillors to take care of psychological effects of abortion as most of the girls who will under go these procedures may live dejected lives when they later marry due to psychological problems. We all know that abortion is not acceptable before God as the Bible crearly say thy shall not kill.
mark andi
June 23, 2012 at 5:42 pm
Before you talk about unsafe abortion you should talk about unsafe sex. coz with safe sex there will be no unwanted pregnancies, markandi yenu.
mark andi
June 23, 2012 at 5:42 pm
Before you talk about unsafe abortion you should talk about unsafe sex. coz with safe sex there will be no unwanted pregnancies.
Jeff
June 23, 2012 at 10:53 pm
Iwe chi tomba tomba plz mind your language and respect other pipos languages or else,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
No State Funeral If HH dies.....no embassy park
June 24, 2012 at 10:59 am
Yaba…cifundo ine…to burried @ Leorpards Hill Cementry….or @ Liato’s Farm
MWILA J
June 25, 2012 at 6:23 pm
Lies lies, total lies and very sad.
MWILA J
June 25, 2012 at 6:35 pm
I know of two girls who died after the so called safe abortion. What is the point? Lies