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Malawi's Liberalized Abortion Bill Sparks New Debate

Lameck Masina

   BLANTYRE - Anti-abortion activists in Malawi are protesting plans by
   the National Assembly to debate a bill that would allow abortion in
   cases of rape and incest. Malawi's abortion rights activists argue the
   Termination of Pregnancy Bill would help prevent the 12,000 deaths
   annually from illegal, unsafe abortions.

   Abortion is currently illegal in Malawi and punishable by a maximum of
   14 years in prison except in cases where pregnancy threatens the life
   of a woman.

   Proponents of the Termination of Pregnancy Bill say the restriction is
   forcing women to seek illegal abortion services mostly from untrained
   personnel.

   Government statistics indicate that 70,000 women in Malawi have illegal
   abortions each year and 17 percent of them die from the procedure.

   Dr. Amos Nyaka is vice chair for the Coalition for Prevention of Unsafe
   Abortion, which is championing liberalized abortion laws in Malawi.

   "From a public health point of view, it is important to address this
   issue of complications that arise from termination of pregnancy. That's
   why it is important that this bill be discussed, at be looked at about
   how we can protect women from dying from termination of pregnancies,"
   said Dr. Nyaka.

   The bill would also allow victims of rape, underage sex and incest to
   end their pregnancies.

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