Les autorités s’attaquent à l’IVG non médicalisée
(The authorities address unsafe abortion)
En Centrafrique, le gouvernement s’attaque à la mortalitématernelle et infantile. Des assises se sont tenues cette semaine pour étudierla question. Les chiffres sont effrayants : 1/3 de la mortalité maternelle estcausée par des interruptions volontaires de grossesses non médicalisées (882décès de femmes pour 100 000 naissances).
In the Central African Republic, unsafe abortions are the leading cause of maternal mortality. Abortion isillegal and punishable by several years’ imprisonment. Only therapeuticabortion under certain conditions is legal. Assizes were held thisweek to study the question. The figures: one-third of maternal mortality iscaused by unsafe abortions (MMR: 882 deaths per 100,000 live births). Each day, six women die as a result oftheir pregnancy or childbirth; this is why the government has launched ananalysis to adapt its policy.
Health Minister Pierre Somse said: “It is only because of the criminal nature ofthe law on termination of pregnancy that most women hide and therefore hide todie.” He has called for a new law toreduce maternal deaths, better sex education and better access to familyplanning methods. He said:
«Iciil s’agit de combiner l’idéalisme et le réalisme. Le gouvernement, l’État, al’obligation de protéger la santé publique. Et on ne peut pas avoir pourambition de réduire la mortalité maternelle et infantile et occulter une causemajeure de cette mortalité infantile qui est l’avortement non médicalisé.L’idéalisme ici doit plutôt être placé dans le sens de sauver des vies,dans le sens d’assurer la santé et le bien-être des femmes.»
“It is a question of combining idealism andrealism. The government, the state, has an obligation to protect public health.And we cannot have the ambition to reduce maternal and infant mortality andhide a major cause of this mortality, which is unsafe abortion. Rather,idealism here should be placed in the sense of saving lives, in the sense ofensuring the health and well-being of women.”
A first step wasthe government’s adoption of the Maputo Declaration last year, which has yet tobe voted on by the National Assembly. This could lead to a bill todecriminalise abortion and other initiatives in this direction.SOURCE: RFI, 18 January 2020. PHOTO: Bangui,the capital, by Siegfried Modola/Reuters