BY PENELOPE PALIANI KAMANGA
Members of Parliament in Malawi should listen to the voices of people demanding safe abortion options to reduce complications and deaths that arise as a result of backstreet abortions, a lawmaker has said.
A member of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Jeremiah Jumbe, said provision of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services should not just be a matter of policy but of human dignity and health.
He made the remarks during the commemoration of International Safe Abortion Day held in eastern Malawi’s district of Balaka.
Malawi as a country has commemorated International Safe Abortion Day under the theme "Solidarity in Action for Advancement of Reproductive Justice in Malawi for Reduction of Maternal Morbidity and Mortality from Unsafe Abortion."
Speaking during the same event, Paramount Chief Kawinga has called on Members of Parliament to consider changing laws on abortion that currently push women and girls towards unsafe abortions.
He said Parliament should take action to ensure that proposed reforms, which the Ministry of Justice, through the Law Commission, made on the need to enact the Termination of Pregnancy Bill.
He also called for greater transparency and openness in discussions surrounding abortion legislation, saying the public needs to understand the laws and the processes involved in reforming them.
“It is time for Parliament to seriously consider the proposed law and ensure that there is transparency when it comes to matters concerning abortion laws,” Kawinga said.
He added that it was sad that, despite Malawi having lived under democracy for many years, the country was still using outdated colonial-era law on abortion.
Meanwhile, Youth Permanent Committee Chairperson for the Coalition for Prevention of Unsafe Abortion, Ketti Mikwala, said Malawi continues to face challenges of unsafe abortions.
Religious Leaders Network for Choice (RLNC) Chairperson Rev Martin Kalimbe said there is a need for continued dialogue on abortion as churches have different views on the issue.
“Churches may have different views on the issue. We must come together, create space for honest and respectful conversations, listen to one another and work together to find constructive ways of addressing abortion in our communities,” said Kalimbe.
Every year, an estimated 141,000 women and girls induce abortions, translating to a rate of about 31 to 38 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age (15–49).
Roughly half of all pregnancies in Malawi are unintended, and an estimated 27% to 30% of those unintended pregnancies end in abortion.
An outdated legal framework fuels the problem of backstreet abortions in Malawi.
Under Malawi's penal framework, abortion is illegal except when performed explicitly to save the life of the pregnant woman. This follows the intervention of the High Court, which, through its ruling, declared that minors who are victims of sexual violence can access safe abortion in public health facilities.
International Safe Abortion Day is observed globally every year on September 28 to advocate for safe, legal, and accessible abortion care as a fundamental human right.