Question NW1708 to the Minister of Health

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04 August 2015 - NW1708

Profile picture: Boshoff, Ms SH

Boshoff, Ms SH to ask the Minister of Health

(1)(a) How many state operated abortion facilities in Mpumalanga are currently operational, (b) what is the legal gestation period to perform an abortion, (c) how accessible is illegal and/or unsafe abortion and (d) what is the cost of an abortion; (2) (a) what were the (i) legal and (ii) illegal abortion statistics for the (aa) 2012-13, (bb) 2013-14 and (cc) 2014-15 financial years, (b) how many deaths were caused by illegal and/or unsafe abortions, (c) what (i) was the (aa) legal and (bb) illegal and/or unsafe abortion ratio and (ii) were the statistics of children between the ages of 12 and 16 who had abortions and (d) how many of these children had the consent of the parents to do so; (3) whether any study or research has been undertaken by (a) his department or the (b) Mpumalanga Health Department into (i) why women seek abortions from illegal or unsafe providers and (ii) abortion rates in comparison with the rest of the world; if so, in each case what were the findings; (4) what plan of action does his department have in place to prevent unsafe abortion statistics from escalating in Mpumalanga?

Reply:

(1) (a) A total of 6 facilities in Mpumalanga are currently operational.

(b) Please refer to the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1996 (Act No. 92 of 1996)

(c) and (d) The Department of Health provides the service at no cost to the clients if indigent and costs are determined depending on the income of the patient in public hospitals as for any other medical condition.

(2) (a) (i) Legal termination of pregnancy statistics are recorded below:

 

(aa) 2012-2013

(bb) 2013 - 2014

(cc) 2014- 2015

 

3,104

3,046

2,539

(ii) The National and Provincial Departments of Health do not keep a record of illegal abortion statistics.

(b) This is not known as statistics for illegal abortions are not recorded separately.

(c) (i) (aa)-(bb) The Department does not keep a record of separating legal and illegal abortion statistics.

(ii) Statistics of children between the age 12 and 16 years who had terminations of pregnancy over the periods are:

PERIOD

NUMBER

2012-2013

55

2013-2014

49

2014-2015

52

(d) “The provisions of the Choice of Termination Act, Act No. 92 Of 1996: Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act92, 1996. Is applicable with respect to consent.

(3) (a)-(b) No study has been conducted by both National Department of Health or the Mpumalanga Health Department that we are aware off.

(4) The Department of Health provides Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) in the designated health facilities which comply with the prescripts of the CTOP Act for safe performance of the procedure. The Department is continuously conducting value clarification workshops to address the issue of limited TOP services.

In addition the Department is conducting Manual Vacuum Aspiration training in partnership with partners that support the implementation of TOP services has introduced medical abortion services to increase access to this service.

However, the key to reducing unwanted pregnancies is to increase knowledge and access to sexual and reproductive health services. In line with this the department launched a revised Contraceptive Policy and introduced the contraception implant as a new and additional contraception method to increase the range of contraceptives available to woman.

END.

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