Banja La Mtsogolo declares support for abortion legalisation

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Banja La Mtsogolo

Malawi’s leading reproductive health service provider, Banja La Mtsogolo (BLM), has backed calls for legalization of safe abortion in the country arguing that many women are dying due to unsafe abortion.

Speaking during celebrations of 30 years of providing reproductive health services in Malawi, BLM has supported calls to legalize safe abortion saying that the move can help in saving a lot of resources and lives of women.

BLM country director Nicky Matthews said Malawi should consider legalizing safe abortion to save lives of many women who go for unsafe abortion.

“The debate is about legalization of safe abortion, currently it’s illegal in Malawi, the concern is that they come later after unsafe methods and we spend a lot of time, resources and sometimes they die,” said Matthews.

Banja La Mtsogolo
Banja La Mtsogolo in one of its activities. (Image credit: BLM)

She added that BLM is to provide free family planning services for the coming 90 days, to ensure that men and women have quality reproductive health service.

However a debate has ensued on the controversial issue of legalization of safe abortion in Malawi as religious leaders have described the move to be ‘evil’.

In Malawi, an abortion can only be legal in special cases such as when the life of the expectant mother is in danger.

Last year, churches in Malawi organized a mass protest against legalization of safe abortion arguing that the act goes contrary to the teaching of the Bible.

While health experts in the country are calling for legalization of safe abortion claiming that the country can save huge sums of money used to treat complications that come about due to unsafe abortion.

BLM is a Malawian healthcare Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) established in 1987 to sustain family planning programs and is a senior member of Marie Stopes International Global Partnership.