Kinshasa, June 25th, 2021 (CPA).– The coordinator of the Network of Journalists for Sexual and Reproductive Health (RJSSR), Bibiche Mbete said on Thursday that clandestine abortion is one of the major causes of maternal mortality in the country , during a capacity building workshop on sexual and reproductive health rights, organized by this structure with the financial support of the international NGO “IPAS”.
Although the Democratic Republic of Congo has ratified the Maputo Protocol, the country continues to record cases of deaths linked to clandestine abortions, she said.
Ms. Bibiche Mbete said the Maputo Protocol only allows safe abortion in cases of incest, rape, or when the pregnancy endangers the mental and physical health of the mother. In the various cases mentioned above, the victim can request the abortion in a safe way to avoid any inconvenience. However, it is up to the state to provide appropriate and secure services, she said.
She called on media professionals to popularize the Maputo Protocol to reduce the cases of clandestine abortions that the country continues to record.
For the country representative of IPAS, Dr Jean-Claude Mulunda, every human being as such and regardless of his social condition has inherent rights. Women’s rights need to be recognized and defended, » he insisted, before presenting certain legal instruments that promote women’s rights.
For his part, Dr Mike Mpoyi, a member of IPAS, defined abortion as the interruption of the gestation process, which can be induced or spontaneous. He revealed that the DRC is one of the six major countries contributing to the global burdens of maternal mortality.
This workshop addressed other points in particular, the history of the Maputo Protocol and the legal framework for abortion. ACP/