Safe abortion services are relevant - Ipas

Ipas Ghana Youth Advisory Board has called on the public to rally behind safe abortion, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care services for young women in the country.

Mr Samuel Nii Lante Lamptey, a Board member of Ipas Ghana Youth Board, said the risk of death following complications of unsafe abortion procedures is several times more than that of safe abortion performed by well-trained health service providers.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Mr Lamptey called for support for improved family planning and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care for young people in the country.

He said despite the fact that more than 47,000 women die each year due to unsafe abortion, the society continues to put more human barriers such as stigmatisation and the influx of unqualified abortion practitioners to the way of safe abortion.

Mr Lamptey said women everywhere should have access to reproductive health and family planning services, which include safe abortion services.

He said under the laws of Ghana, certain conditions allow a woman or a girl to have a safe abortion and with this a well-trained health service provider could carry out the service.

Mr Lamptey identified conditions that called for abortion in the law, “as rape, incest, mental health reasons, a minor who is pregnant, or when the pregnancy would put the woman’s life in danger”.

Mr Philip Duah, the Communication and Advocacy Chairman of Ipas Ghana Youth Board, said there have been several instances, where women sought immediate reproductive health care but lost their lives due to exorbitant fees charged by some health facilities across the country.

He said there is the need for Ghanaians to see abortion rights to valued principles such as equality, privacy, dignity and security.

Mr Duah said safe abortion in the country could be achieved through consistent education of the public on the importance of safe abortion rights and access to safe abortion services.

“Also we must oppose unauthorized people who take advantage of the stigma in the system, pushing these victims to opt for unsafe abortion services”, he said.