Accra, Dec. 4, GNA - Nana Oye Lithur, Chief Executive Officer of Human Rights Advocacy Centre (HRAC) on Thursday observed that the high rate of HIV cases could be attributed to polygamous marriages in the country. "Polygamous marriage which is accepted in the country could be cited as one of the major causes of sexually transmitted diseases," she said.

Speaking at a seminar organised by HRAC for Law students on Reproductive Health and Human Rights in Accra, she said the reproductive health concept was ideal to help control the population. Nana Lithur urged government to refrain from acts that impeded the rights of the citizenry and punish offenders of reproductive laws and human rights.

She cited the Criminal Code, Children's Act, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Reproductive Health Policy as some of government interventions which sought to protect the human rights and reproductive health.

Nana Lithur expressed concern about some aspects of the NHIS, which did not cater for legal abortion since it was the second leading cause of maternal mortality.

"I believe if legal abortion has been included in the provisions of the NHIS, it would prevent people from engaging in illegal abortions," she added.

Dr. Ali Samba of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Korle bu Teaching Hospital said about 600,000 women die annually from maternal mortality world-wide with 99 per cent of them coming from Sub-Saharan Africa.

He cited haemorrhage, hypertension, unsafe abortion, ruptured uterus as some of the causes of maternal mortality in the country with majority of them from the rural areas.

Dr. Samba expressed worry about the low rate of people who used contraceptives in the country and appealed to the government to intensify education on the use of contraceptives.

Professor Fred T. Sai, former Head of Ghana AIDS Commission called for the repeal of the law on abortion in order to prevent illegal abortions.