The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre Africa has appealed to the Lagos government to reinstate its suspended guidelines on safe termination of pregnancy.

Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, founding director of WARDC Africa, said in an interview on Monday in Abuja that reinstating the guidelines would help reduce maternal deaths caused by unsafe procedures.

World Abortion Day is observed globally every September 28 to raise awareness on unsafe abortion, which, according to the World Health Organisation, remains a leading cause of preventable maternal mortality worldwide.

Ms Akiyode-Afolabi said that the policy was crucial to reducing maternal deaths caused by unsafe procedures and safeguarding the health rights of women and girls.

According to her, the current suspension of the STOP guidelines hinders the realisation of fundamental rights and endangers the lives of countless women.

“Our plea to the Lagos state government is simply to lift the suspension on the STOP guidelines immediately. The guidelines on safe termination of pregnancy for legal indications were a landmark step towards standardising practice and building the capacity of medical personnel to provide safe care within the extant legal framework in Lagos State.

“The suspension undermines the crucial objective of saving women from preventable deaths and denies victims of sexual and gender-based violence, like rape and incest survivors, the comprehensive medical services that are their right,” said Ms Akiyode-Afolabi.

Mr Akiyode-Afolabi noted that for women and girls who were survivors of rape and incest, access to safe termination of pregnancy was not merely a medical procedure.

She said that it was a pathway to reclaiming their bodily autonomy, mental health, and the right to a life of dignity. The WARDC chief added that the law was also a mechanism to free victims from the continuous trauma associated with a forced pregnancy.

According to her, however, the current impasse leaves women vulnerable to unsafe procedures, which allegedly contributed significantly to Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate.

She appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to lift the suspension to enable medical professionals to operate confidently within the law and standardise post abortion care.

“The law would ensure the guidelines explicitly cater to survivors of rape and incest, recognisng the grave physical and psychological risks of forced pregnancy in such circumstances.

“It will prioritise women’s health and rights over political or religious sentiments, recognising that the guidelines are a public health imperative to curb preventable maternal deaths. WARDC remains committed to working with the Lagos state government and all stakeholders to uphold the human rights of women and girls in Nigeria,” she said.

Mr. Akiyode-Afolabi thanked states that had demonstrated exemplary leadership by actively using guidelines or taking steps to clarify and implement provisions that helped women access their sexual and reproductive health rights within the legal framework.

She said that these progressive steps were vital in ensuring that women’s rights were upheld and their lives protected.

(NAN)