Abortions in city rise 5%, health experts dub it a ‘positive’ trend

In order to strengthen the safe abortion services in the city as well as the state, the health & family welfare department has recently conducted training of its personnel. They will be ensuring that all due medical procedures are followed during the abortion process at different district hospitals and health centres. Authorities informed that the primary objectives of these centres is to provide safe, high quality services including abortion, family planning as well as post abortion counselling. AC Baishya, executive director at the National Health Mission (NHM), informed G Plus that safe abortions were already taking place in all district hospitals; however, the department has now taken additional steps to strengthen the practice.

May 2018

Source : The Times of India

Assam: Safe abortion training for medical staff in districts

The state government is in the process of training medical officers and nursing staff on comprehensive abortion care in different districts to ensure women have access to safe abortion by trained medical staff. The state government has set up centers in 23 districts where 65 gynaecologists are engaged in imparting training to medical officers (MBBS doctors) and nursing staff. While doctors are being trained for 12 days, nurses have a shorter training duration of six day. So far, 426 doctors have been trained under this programme. Ipas Development Foundation, a global organization, is providing technical support to the state government in this initiative.

May 2018

Source : The North East

Health Dept emphasises on Safe Abortions with Focus on Maternal Health

In order to strengthen the safe abortion services in the city as well as the state, the health & family welfare department has recently conducted training of its personnel. They will be ensuring that all due medical procedures are followed during the abortion process at different district hospitals and health centres. Authorities informed that the primary objectives of these centres is to provide safe, high quality services including abortion, family planning as well as post abortion counselling. AC Baishya, executive director at the National Health Mission (NHM), informed G Plus that safe abortions were already taking place in all district hospitals; however, the department has now taken additional steps to strengthen the practice.

May 2018

Source : Guwahati Plus

Legal, but unsafe abortions kill 2 women every hour in India

India is already mired by controversial abortion laws. Add to it, the lack of knowledge and skills required for the procedure, indicating not just a staggering infrastructure, but also the need for reformation in the existing ones. Ironically, abortions are legal in the land for the past 46 years, but almost 60% of the procedures are unsafe. Incidentally, the figure is closer to the countries where abortion is illegal. A study conducted by WHO, in coordination with Guttmacher Institute, shows that 62 countries with highly restrictive abortion policies have 75% unsafe abortions as compared to 13% in 57 countries that have relaxed abortion regulations. Ipas Development Foundation executive director Vinoj Manning, speaking to the Times of India, said, "To reverse this, India must take major policy and programmatic action. The government needs to urgently take forward the proposed amendments to the MTP Act."

March 2018

Source : Asianet

Statement by Ipas Development Foundation on International Women’s Day

India took the landmark step for legalizing induced abortion in the country with the fairly liberal Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 and placing us among 15 countries around the globe that had a liberal abortion law then. On International Women’s Day, we all need to join hands to make the commitments to women a reality.

March 2018

Source : The Health Star

73 Per Cent Women In India Take Their Pharmacist’s Help For Abortion: Study

Medical methods using the drugs recommended by the World Health Organization account for four in five abortions in India. Yet, they are not readily available at public health facilities and women have to resort to buying them from a chemist, the report said.   Vinoj Manning, Executive Director IPAS Development Foundation said, "While continuing the efforts to strengthen public and private health system to provide abortion care to women in line with the provisions of the law and national guidelines, we need to ensure that women who self-use MA have access to correct information and systems for supportive care including identifying danger signs, access to health facilities for post-abortion care (if required) and post-abortion contraception."

December 2017

Source : NDTV

What’s wrong with India’s abortion laws?

The tricky debate on Abortion: Where the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act conflicts with two other laws?   While MTP Act itself does not direct anyone to approach the court for permission to terminate pregnancy post-20 weeks, the recent few years have seen a rush of court petitions seeking permission for abortion. Often these have been either rape survivors with unwanted pregnancies or couples who found out about foetal abnormalities that are either incompatible with survival or posed the risk of a substantial handicap to the baby upon birth.  

December 2017

Source : The Indian Express

AYUSH docs, paramedics may not be allowed to perform abortions

Despite an endorsement from the World Health Organization, the Union government is not likely to go ahead with a key provision in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2014. The proposed amendment expands the definition of legal abortion providers—to include nurses, auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and doctors practising Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani and Siddha—to perform non-surgical abortions in case of pregnancies up to nine weeks.   "This was the most important amendment to the MTP Act and would have helped poor women access safe abortion services. There's a huge shortage of doctors in the country, and this change would have helped plug that gap,” said Vinoj Manning, director, Ipas Development Foundation, an NGO that works for safe abortions.

November 2017

Source : The Week

56% Abortions Unsafe Despite Being Legal; Proposed Amendments On Hold

Niketa Mehta was in the 24th week of her pregnancy when a test revealed substantial abnormalities in the fetus' heart that posed a risk to its survival. Mehta decided to abort, but found herself restrained by the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, Mehta's obstetrician sought judicial authorisation but the court refused.   This was in 2008. Nine years since, in July this year, the Supreme Court allowed a woman to abort an over-20 week foetus that had serious cardiac impairments. The courts have clearly come a long way, reflecting a broader change in society, but a legislative amendment to increase the gestation limit for abortion from 20 to 24 weeks has been hanging fire for three years.  

November 2017

Source : India Spend

Government doctors are being trained to help women in India get safe and legal abortions

The Comprehensive Abortion Care programme is training doctors in abortion laws, medical and surgical abortion procedures, and how to counsel women.   A large number of unsafe abortion occur in India every year due to a combination of factors – lack of education of women seeking abortions, stigma surrounding abortion and a shortage of qualified healthcare providers to perform abortions.   The Ipas Development Foundation, is helping implement the comprehensive abortion care programme in India. For example, it supports the Karnataka government’s efforts to train doctors and healthcare workers at primary health centres and community health centres in abortion procedures that include medical as well as surgical termination of pregnancy. The programme also includes training on abortion laws and the time-period during which abortion is allowed.

November 2017

Source : Scroll.in