WARDC and 150 CSOs Demand Reinstatement of Safe Pregnancy Termination Guidelines

Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) and 150 Women Rights and Civil Society Organizations have called for the reinstatement of the suspended Guidelines on Safe Termination of Pregnancy for Legal Indications.

The primary aim of this request is to avoid preventable deaths among women and to provide a clear framework for the termination of pregnancies in cases of incest, rape, and other health-related issues.

The guidelines, which were initially launched in June 2022, were intended to provide a comprehensive and standardized approach to the termination of pregnancies in Lagos State.

The document acknowledged legal indications, including obstetrics and gynaecological conditions, heart and vascular diseases, kidney diseases, cancers, blood diseases, psychiatric and other mental disorders, and other conditions as reasons for the practice.

However, the Lagos State Government suspended the guidelines on July 8, 2022, following some controversies that arose after the launch of the document.

This suspension has led to concerns among women’s rights and civil society organizations, as the absence of clear guidelines has stalled effective implementation at the appropriate levels of care, resulting in preventable deaths.

WARDC and the 150 CSOs are now urging the Lagos State Government to reinstate the guidelines to provide a clear framework for safe termination of pregnancies and to save women from preventable deaths.

The organizations also emphasized the importance of including provisions for the termination of pregnancies in cases of incest, rape, and sexual and gender-based violence.

This call for reinstatement comes at a time when the need for safe and accessible reproductive healthcare is more important than ever.

The WARDC and the 150 CSOs believe that the reinstatement of the guidelines will not only help to reduce maternal mortality but also provide a much-needed support system for women who have experienced sexual and gender-based violence.