Make abortion laws clear- rights groups

By Anne Mugisa   

Civil society organisations have asked the Government to clarify the existing laws on abortion. According to them, the existing laws are grossly misunderstood to the extent that women who should access abortion services are blocked and stigmatized.

This was at a workshop organised by the Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and the Centre for Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) at the Serena Hotel in Kampala.

Quoting mortality statistics, they said that Uganda loses more than 6000 mother annually to pregnancy related causes and 26% of them are due to unsafe abortions. They said that a number of those who survive get scarred for life that they are unable to have children.

Judith Akol, the Regional director of Reproductive Health Rights said that in Uganda, lack of information on abortion related laws and policies is fueling differing understanding of the issue to the detriment of those who should be benefitting from them.

According to her, though abortion is criminal under the Ugandan law, the Constitution allows it in a wide range of circumstances which include danger to a mother’s health, rape, incest as well as unviability of the foetus outside the mother’s womb.

She argued that the mother’s health could include a wide range of conditions which could include mental and psychological health which, she said; women who seek these services suffer from.

“Ugandan laws are few but more expansive than many people think, yet people have perceived them to prohibit abortion,” Akol argued. “So it is not criminalised absolutely. It is permitted to preserve the life and mental health as well as physical health of the pregnant woman. Abortion is acceptable in cases of health and medical reasons.

They said that the women bleed to death or develop sepsis from unsafe abortions performed by quacks in backstreet places after they were denied the services in hospitals. Some of the women, they said, seek out the services of the quacks for fear of being stigmatized.

They argued that abortion is allowed everywhere in the world except in Uganda where it is criminalised and stigmatized. They said that 42% of the estimated two million pregnancies in Uganda annually are unintended. They said that unplanned births are on the raise and the gap between the ideal and the actual family size is increasing. They noted that sexual activity is high in Uganda as well as induced abortions with their attendant complications.

According to Dr. Charles Kiggundu, of the unintended pregnancies only 62 get delivered while the rest end in induced abortions.

Dr. Kiggundu said that women need to know that following abortion, fertility returns very fast and therefore they could easily fall pregnant again if they do not do something about it.

He said that there is need for comprehensive abortion care, prevention of pregnancies and sexuality education which includes imparting life skills and livelihood skills.

Dr. David Ibembe castigated the men who he said are at the centre of the reproduction and the root cause of these pregnancies and their problems, yet they do not want to attend meetings where these issues are discussed. “They need to be held responsible. They need to own up,” he doctor said.

Dr. Ibembe, however, cautioned those pushing for abortion rights not to impose their views on the people who may have opposing views. “You need to dialogue with them. If I am against abortion respect my views and try to persuade me to see your view instead of imposing your views on me,” Ibembe cautioned.

He noted that the Constitutional provision that allows abortion was a compromise between the pro-abortion and those who were against it.