WHO: "Legal abortions caused 20 percent of maternal deaths"

Washington (AsiaNews/C-Fam) – "Up to 20% of maternal deaths are due to abortion, even in thosesituations were abortion is legal. There is a question whether 'safe' abortion is safe," Dr. Gunta Lazdane has stated, as European regional advisor for the World Health Organization on Reproductive health and research. Lazdane spoke at the Global Population Forum 2004, an international meeting held recently in Washington D.C, organized by the Population Institute and Population 2005, an alliance of reproductive right's groups. ("Reproductive rights" is a phrase that often hides the choice for abortion as being "in defense of health" and for contraception).  Among the Board of Directors of Population 2005 are former high-ranking officials of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), as well as the UN Under Secretary General, H. E. Anwarul Chowdhury.

The admission of Lazdane weakens the widespread argument in favor of the global legalization of abortion.  In many parts of the world, among them Italy, supporters of abortion often claim that only illegal abortions are unsafe, and attribute maternal deaths only to them.  In this manner, pro-abortion groups have asked their governments to recognize a broad right to abortion.  Based on this information, WHO seems to call for the worldwide legalization of abortion, stating that the governments "should frame abortion laws and policies on the basis of a commitment to women's health and well-being rather than on criminal codes and punitive measures."

 But if Lazdane was not mistaken, and legal abortions are also "unsafe", these arguments decisively lose their importance. 

Others speakers at the Forum expressed the traditional pro-choice, anti-catholic orientation.  Alfonso Lopez Juarez, for example, former head of the Mexican Family Planning, called the Catholic Church and the " religious right" as "fanatics".  Juarez added "Nothing is sinful about sexuality if you avoid pregnancy and STD's (sexually transmittable illnesses)". 

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