Madagascar: the bill on therapeutic termination of pregnancy is debated
Aerial view of the Malagasy capital Antananarivo.
AFP - RIJASOLO
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The bill on the legalization of therapeutic termination of pregnancy, not yet discussed in Parliament, is already being debated in the media and on Malagasy social networks.
The objective of this law is to authorize the termination of a pregnancy in the event of endangering the life of the mother, non-viable fetus, incest or rape.
Images showing a fetus, curettage instruments with the slogan "
no to abortion whatever its form
", published on Facebook by a member of Antananarivo opposed to this proposal, have reacted many Internet users.
While some support it, many others denounce an extreme position and declare themselves in favor of therapeutic termination of pregnancy.
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With our correspondent in Antananarivo,
Laëtitia Bezain
On the Big Island, the termination of pregnancy is a
crime
, even when it is practiced to save the life of the mother.
A situation that can no longer last, believes Marie Jeanne d'Arc Masy Goulamaly, the parliamentarian who proposed this law and president of the Gender Commission at the National Assembly.
"
I think it is rather better to stop pregnancy in its embryonic state than to see women victims of high-risk pregnancies, to see children born with deformities or unwanted children following rape,
underlines- she does.
For me, even being a Catholic, a believer, I look at the practical side and I prefer to help women victims than to follow to the letter what is dictated by religion. As in any social issue, it is normal for there to be discussions. I call on my colleagues to participate massively in the debate on this law on therapeutic termination of pregnancy and I would like them to vote
for it for the sake of women
.
"
In fact, doctors perform therapeutic terminations of pregnancy.
For this, they risk up to 10 years in prison.
A law to regulate this practice and protect patients and practitioners is necessary, explains Doctor Patrick Ranjohanison, secretary general of the Order of Physicians of Madagascar.
"
Protect especially mothers and then also protect doctors
"
“
There are always apprehensions, even if we have to do an operation on an ectopic pregnancy, for example,
he points out.
There is apprehension among practitioners, among doctors, but we do it because it is to save lives. We don't talk about it. We just practice it, knowing that it is illegal. It is a moral issue compared to the situation. There is also an internal tightness for the doctor. "Should we do it? Shouldn't we do it?" It is the interest of this bill precisely, to protect especially mothers and then also to protect doctors, so that they are not imprisoned for practices which are really therapeutic and which save lives. It is purely technical. We didn't want this to be a heated debate. We just wanted to propose a law that saves lives.
"
Four years ago, the articles concerning the therapeutic termination of pregnancy were removed from the law on family planning by parliamentarians.
The latter believed that it would be an open door to the voluntary termination of pregnancy.
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