Following the suspension of guidelines on safe termination of pregnancy for legal indications since July 8, 2022 by the Lagos State government and with the alarming cases of maternal mortality attributed to unsafe abortions, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC) recently released an advocacy film titled, ‘To Ba Se Wo’, depicting the gross gaps in maternal health.

The film which was produced as part of the campaign and publicly screened had stakeholders from various sectors including healthcare professionals, religious and traditional leaders, Civil Society organisations, human rights advocates and government agencies review and propose solutions to address identified challenges.
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Founding Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said there is need for open conversations on unsafe termination of pregnancy noting that the lives of several women remain at stake because of the right guidelines have not yet been fully implemented.

“We want to reduce the number of women that are dying on a daily basis due to unsafe abortion. The idea of ‘killing unborn children’ that has come up here, it is a total fallacy. It is selfish, and unacceptable. We are saying that this conversation should be open. Doctors who can see, and who know the implication of the state of a woman should be able to make that judgement for the woman, and that they should be able to be guided by policies and laws to make that decision.”

Akiyode-Afolabi stated that the advocacy for better policies on termination of pregnancy is more than just a national debate. She wants the government to take swift action to prevent more women from falling victim to unsafe abortion practices: “We don’t want to win a debate; it is not a debate. People’s lives are in question. We are saying that people are dying, and we are calling on the government to lift the suspension, so that women will not continue to die needlessly.”

Executive Director, Trust and Support Foundation (TSF), Victoria Madukwem, stated that the current guidelines for termination of pregnancy do not account for victims of rape, incest and sexual abuse. She also said that these victims are subsequently forced to seek abortion services from individuals without the proper know-how. She has called for the government to take action by rescinding the current limitations.

“In communities, we’ve seen that a lot of young girls, especially the adolescents are raped. We have cases of rape and cases of rejection especially from their sexual partners. We also see that the stigma plays a huge role. Most times, when we’re trying to get this service, what they do is to look for quacks. This has caused a lot of damages, complications and deaths.

“If the government can give them a chance by lifting this suspension, it can give these women a chance to be who they want to be and fulfill their careers. It will go a long way,” she added.

Executive Director, Center for Bridging Health Gaps, Dr. Moriam Olaide Jagun, stated that medical standards and legal frameworks agree that there are certain conditions that warrant a woman to seek termination of pregnancy. “The responsible medical community has come together to look at the health aspect, which is within the legal framework of the law. If you look through the medical lens, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, which has to do with cancers, and over different specialties in medicine, there are conditions under which a woman can procure an abortion.

“If you look at the legal aspect of it, there is a framework which agrees that when the life of a woman is put at risk, when the woman might lose her life in the next step, she can have her pregnancy terminated.”

Jagun noted that it is important for doctors and relevant medical practitioners to go through appropriate training and sensitisation to provide safe and timely abortion care, especially when deemed medically necessary. She is confident the government will get on board with the initiatives in due course, and create a safer reproductive health ecosystem for more women.

“Doctors need to be trained on the new guidelines. So that when there are conditions under which a woman deserves to have an abortion, she would have it done. I believe the government will look at it and act very soon, and we will all smile, knowing women are saved, and that we are saying zero tolerance to maternal mortality,” she added.
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