By NCHIMUNYA MIYOBA
The Kitwe Teaching Hospital (KTH) on the Copperbelt has disclosed that the institution handled about 1000 safe pregnancy termination in the first and second quarter of 2021 as part of the Comprehensive abortion care as stipulated by law.
Confirming the development to the Independent Observer in Kitwe today, Hospital Public Relations Officer, Phoebe Chileya said 474 procedures where done in the first quarter of this year while , 539 where done in the second quarter.
Ms Chileya said during the same period last year the hospital recorded 400 in January, 191 in February and 217 in March respectively.
Kitwe Teaching Hospital is one of the registered hospitals in the district mandated to carry out safe terminations.
And a group of specialist Gynecologists and Obstetricians are concerned that women have continued to die due to complications of unsafe abortions.
Zambia Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians president Swabby Macaha said the country has continued to record high numbers of unsafe abortions due little sensitization of Comprehensive Abortion Care CAC and barriers to access safe abortions at registered health facilities that follow the guidelines stipulated in theTermination of Pregnancy Act of 1972 which was later amended in 1994 and the Health Professional Act.
Dr Macha said the association is aware that abortion is a political issue and that there is a law in place to address such hence if left unchecked it may continue to take lives of young girls and women.
“We know abortion is a political issue but it is also a human right. Abortion has become a silent killer and if not addressed it will continue taking away lives of young girls and women. ZAGO does not promote abortions but it is an Association that advocate for safe abortions. ZAGO does not want to see any further deaths arising from unsafe pregnancy.” he said.
He said the association will continue to provide information and choices of contraceptives women can use and access while following the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.
“It is important to encourage young people to abstain from sex. Sex debut among people is as low as 9 years in our country. This is worrying and we cannot continue to ignore the fact that underage are indulging in sex,” He said.
Currently ZAGO is running a 3 year project dubbed “The Zambia Prevention of Unsafe Abortions project” which is supported by International Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetrics FIGO. The project is based on the county’s needs assessment on challenges of unsafe abortions.
