WHO issues new guidelines for safe Abortion
Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidelines for safe abortion.
The objective of these guidelines is to ensure that pregnant women have access to health facilities at all stages of abortion-related care (pre-abortion, during-abortion and post-abortion care).
Under this, health care services will ensure that service delivery equitably and without discrimination meets the needs of women seeking abortions.
The key guidelines issued by WHO in this regard:
- Making abortion completely non-criminal.
- Avoiding laws and regulations that prohibit abortion on the basis of the length of gestation.
- Providing access to better information and counseling facilities.
- not making the waiting period mandatory for abortion,
- Providing abortion facility at the request of the woman without waiting for the permission of any other person, body or institution
About abortion:
- Around 45% of abortions worldwide are performed by unsafe methods. Of these, 97% of unsafe abortions are performed in developing countries.
- Unsafe abortion is a major cause of death and illness for many girls, women and mothers. However, they can be prevented.
- It can lead to physical and mental health complications in women. In addition, it can cause social and financial burdens for women, communities and health systems.
- Lack of access to safe, timely, low-cost and respectable abortion care is an important public health concern and human rights issue.
Measures taken by India to control unsafe abortion:
- Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021: This law empowers all women by providing them with comprehensive abortion care.
- Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn Child plus Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A): It provides Comprehensive Abortion Care Services (CACS).
- Guidelines on CACS and Medical Methods of Abortions (MMA) have been provided to all the states.
- Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMKVY) is being operated.
Source – The Hindu
