Global Media Foundation Postulates The Need To Legalize Safe Abortion In Ghana

 Chief Executive Officer of Global Media Foundation, Mr. Godlove Raphael Ahenu Jnr has bemoaned at the increase rate of unsafe abortion in the country.

He posited that Ghana was not able to achieve Millennium Development Goal 5—which was targeted at reducing maternal mortality simply because unsafe abortion has fueled maternal deaths in the country.

Mr. Godlove Raphael Ahenu Jnr who was speaking at a one day Media training on access to safe abortion and contraceptive services in Ghana on Wednesday, at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo region called on government and stakeholders to legalize safe abortion to save lives of women who suffers as a result of the unsafe practice of abortion.

The training workshop was themed: “Achieving The SDG Three-The Role Of The Ghanaian Media”.

“We have to legalize abortion to safe the lives of women. If men are the people dying from unsafe abortion are we going to sit down and look unconcerned,” he queried.

“Parliament would have passed a law to legalize it—but since the issue is concerning women, we are finding it difficult to legalize abortion,” Mr. Ahenu added.

Mr. Raphael Ahenu indicated that about 21.6 million women and girls seek unsafe abortion worldwide each year—and an estimated amount of 8 million women each year, experience complications from unsafe abortion leading to 47,000 maternal deaths.

According to him, most of these women are those who live in almost exclusively in developing countries and are too poor to seek services from qualified service providers.

“Access to and understandings of contraceptives among young people are limited. Many young pregnant women result to unsafe abortion—the need for education, information and services for young people is one of Global Media Foundation’s priorities.

“Abortion remains one of the unspoken maternal health issues worldwide accounting for 13% of all maternal deaths. Reducing unsafe abortion is related complications are one of the most important ways to lower overall maternal mobility and mortality since nearly all deaths from unsafe abortion are preventable.”

He ascertained that “a comprehensive survey in 2007 to find out factors that can fuel in maternal deaths in this country indicated that abortion is accounting for 13% of all maternal deaths in Ghana. Unsafe abortion is preventable so as a nation I don’t understand why we sit down and look unconcern for many women to die—while we can easily prevent it by legalizing abortion so that they can walk to any health facility to seek for those services—in order to end maternal deaths in this country.

“Whether we like it or not, they are doing it day in and day out—using the unsafe method—so why don’t we legalize it so that they can use the safe method to safe their life,” he added.

 He charged the media to be discreet in their reportage relating to abortion. He lamented that the media misinforms the public when they talk about issues pertaining abortion.