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NAIROBI: The Government plans to reintroduce guidelines that would allow women to procure abortion from qualified medical personnel under certain conditions.
Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the guidelines, withdrawn in a huff two years ago, will be part of a larger policy document meant to address the high incidence of maternal deaths.
Mr Macharia said the guidelines will not be a stand-alone document focusing on abortion only, to avoid the perception that the Government is encouraging the practice while abiding by the principles of the Constitution.
The CS said the document will be referred to as 'Policy Standards and Guidelines for Preventing Maternal Mortality'.
"The last time we released the safe abortion guidelines, we were criticised especially by religious leaders as permitting and encouraging abortion. So, we want to approach it in a more accommodating manner," he said.
He added, "Unsafe abortions are not the only cause of deaths for women. So, we want to address this issue in a wholesome way rather than just focusing on abortion."
The Constitution allows abortion services when the life or health of a woman is in danger and in cases of emergency. Article 26(4) reads: Abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law.
However, some religious leaders have expressed concern that the provision may be abused by health professionals to grant many women abortion, thereby legalising the practice through the back door.
Current estimates from the Ministry of Health and the African Population and Health Research Centre show that at least 464,000 women in Kenya put their lives in danger every year by seeking unsafe abortions in backstreet clinics. Of these, almost 120,000 are hospitalised while 2,800 die every year.
However, Macharia declined to give a timeline within which the new guidelines will be released, saying consultations with various stakeholders are still ongoing.
The safe abortion guidelines were officially launched in September 2012 by the then Director of Medical Services Francis Kimani but withdrawn in December 2013 for 'further consultation'.
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