Africa: Abortion sparks heated debate at Ticad side event

Zambian economist Highvie Hamdudu confers with his Cameroonian counterpart Marie Rose Nguini Effa during a discussion on reproductive health for the youth in Africa at a Ticad side event in Nairobi on August 26, 2016. PHOTO | AGGREY MUTAMBO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Health PS Nicholas Muraguri argued the debate on legalising abortion should be turned into a campaign to prevent teenage pregnancies.

Friday August 26 2016, The Daily Nation

By AGGREY MUTAMBO

Government health officials clashed on Friday with representatives of a global reproductive health campaigner over the approach to be taken on abortion policy.

At event to discuss reproductive health in Africa, Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri argued the debate on legalising abortion should instead be turned into a campaign to prevent teenage pregnancies.

“We remain committed as a country to ensure that people are able to access all the services they need and the debate about abortion can continue.

"But more important, we know that abortion is a reflection of unwanted pregnancies,” he said during the discussion at a side meeting to the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Ticad) in Nairobi.

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Source: The Daily Nation, Kenya