By Vera Wisdom-Bassey
The Project Lead for the International Centre for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development (CENPAD), Lagos, Mr. Ubani Arukwe, has called on the Lagos State Ministry of Health to reinstate the guidelines of Lagos State Safe Termination of Pregnancy (STOP).
He made the appeal during the maiden meeting of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos State chapter yesterday.
Arukwe described the policy as a life-saving tool, which would reduce preventable maternal deaths, especially for low-income, underserved, and crises-affected communities.
“We are campaigning for the reinstatement of the STOP guideline because it will significantly reduce maternal deaths in Lagos, and give the women the right to discontinue the pregnancy.
“This is not a pro-choice document but a pro-life document. If restored, it will go a long way to protect the lives of mothers and children. Our appeal is for Lagos State to bring back this guideline. It is a health issue, not a morality debate,” he said.
He stated that CENPAD is out to promote women’s health as a pro-life case, and not a pro-abortion thing.
The STOP guideline, which was first released by the Federal Ministry of Health before 2022, and later adopted by the Lagos State Government in June 2022, was later withdrawn after public backlash. But advocates argued that reinstating it is critical to safeguarding women’s health.
Arukwe stated that the guideline provides clarity for both health providers and women seeking care, which would help the women to have control over their health issues.
He made this explanation based on the fact that the guideline would cover complex situations, such as pregnancies that endanger women’s mental health. He noted that without it, women would be forced to carry high-risk pregnancies with grave consequences.
To strengthen the campaign, CENPAD said it is partnering with the NAWOJ, Lagos State chapter, to drive advocacy and public awareness.
The Chairperson of NAWOJ in Lagos, Mrs Jumoke Johnson, described the partnership as a timely and essential one.
