WARDC Urges Lagos To Lift Suspension On STOP Guidelines

As Nigeria joins the satellite to commemorate the International Safe Abortion Day, the Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) has called connected the Lagos State Government to assistance the suspension connected the Safe Termination of Pregnancy (STOP) Guidelines, informing that the improvement endangers women’s lives and denies rape and incest survivors entree to captious healthcare.

The International Safe Abortion Day, observed annually connected September 28, draws attraction to planetary disparities successful entree to harmless and ineligible abortion.

A connection signed by its Founding Director, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, noted that the guidelines, introduced to standardise aesculapian signifier for cases wherever gestation threatens the beingness oregon wellness of women, were suspended by the authorities government, creating what WARDC described arsenic a unsafe spread successful women’s reproductive healthcare.

The connection stressed that the suspension “undermines the important nonsubjective of redeeming women from preventable deaths.”

“Our plea to the Lagos State Government is simple: assistance the suspension connected the STOP guidelines immediately,” Akiyode-Afolabi added.

She argued that the deficiency of wide aesculapian absorption has near galore women susceptible to unsafe termination procedures, a large contributor to Nigeria’s precocious maternal mortality rate. For survivors of rape and incest, she added, entree to harmless termination is not conscionable a aesculapian necessity but “a pathway to reclaiming their bodily autonomy, intelligence health, and the close to a dignified life.”

WARDC further commended immoderate State Governments for showing progressive enactment by either implementing oregon clarifying ineligible provisions that assistance women entree reproductive wellness services, urging the Lagos State Government to travel suit, particularly fixed its presumption arsenic a argumentation person successful the federation.

The organisation, therefore, outlined 3 cardinal demands to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu: “lift the suspension connected the STOP Guidelines without delay.

“Ensure explicit inclusion of provisions for rape and incest survivors.

“Place women’s wellness supra governmental oregon spiritual sentiments, recognising harmless termination services arsenic a nationalist wellness imperative.”

As Nigeria continues to grapple with maternal deaths linked to unsafe abortions, WARDC emphasised its committedness to moving with the Lagos State Government and stakeholders to uphold the rights and dignity of women and girls.