Increasing abortions daunting challenge

ANJILA SHRESTHA

The legalisation of abortion in 2002 could not do wonders as the practice of aborting female fetus is increasing in government and private hospitals throughout the country.

According to the data at the Department of Health Services (DoHS), 51,415 abortions were carried out in 2007/08, 83,978 in 2008/09 and 88,938 in 2009/10. More than 25 percent of abortionists were teenagers alone aged 15-19, it said.

Studies show unwanted pregnancies resulted from extra-marital affair and abhorrence towards girl child force women to go for abortion.

With government authorities failing to check illegal abortion, more abortions are carried out without trained clinical help across the country, say experts.

The Thapathali-based Maternity Hospital has recorded more than 3,280 cases of Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC), an approach to provide abortion services taking into account various factors that influence a woman’s individual health needs. Since March 2004, the hospital has been providing abortion services, but no single case of illegal abortion has been registered.

Experts also say lack of awareness about safe abortion has been the major headache as media reports within the last one year period show clinics having no skilled manpower and resources are offering abortion services, resulting in maternal and child deaths.

Dr Shilu Aryal, an official of DoHS, said among the abortionists visiting health centres for safe abortion around 2 percent develop complications. “So using the family planning methods and emergency contraceptives are the only answer to unwanted pregnancies,” Dr Aryal said.

Shipra Joshi, a senior staff nurse at Family Planing Association of Nepal, “Mainly more teenage girls are going for abortion since it was legalised. During counselling we found out that most of them want to abort fetus due to the unwanted pregnancies.” “The government must give a high priority to control unwanted pregnancies through comprehensive reproductive health services as well as abortion counselling,” she said.

Source: http://www.ekantipur.com