India
legalized abortion in 1971, and the MTP Act was amended in 2003 to ensure
better implementation and increased access to women especially in the private
health sector. However, even 47 years since the Act came into force, unsafe
abortions are still prevalent in India. The recent Lancet Global Health
mentions that a total of 15.6 million abortions were carried out in India in
2015. Of these, 11.5 million took place outside health facilities. According to
the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, abortion deaths constitute 8% of all
maternal deaths per year in India. Women and girls in India continue to seek abortion
services from unqualified or illegal providers – often resulting in severe
complications and adverse reproductive health implications.
A
Parliamentary Panel on Women’s Health in February 2018 strongly recommended the
government to amend the MTP Act, 1971, however, this draft is yet to see light.
Against this backdrop, GPPI-CPR and GHS jointly organised a roundtable
discussion focusing on the key issues of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy
(MTP) and the proposed amendments of the MTP Act, 1971.
Three
specialist speakers who discussed these issues in detail included Dr C N Purandare,
President, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO); Dr Jaydeep
Tank, Deputy Secretary General, The Federation of Obstetric &
Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI); and Dr Nozer Sheriar, Former
Secretary General, The Federation of Obstetric & Gynaecological Societies
of India (FOGSI).
