Stakeholders from Ministries of Health, Education, Justice and Women Affairs in Akwa Ibom have pledged their commitment to the Safe Termination of Pregnancy (STOP) guidelines to help reduce high rates of maternal mortality in the State.
STOP guidelines are a set of medical protocols that guide healthcare professionals on safe and legal abortion in Nigeria.
Akwa Ibom is one of the states in Nigeria to adopt and domesticate the STOP guidelines.
Dr Mathias Abah, the Akwa Ibom Coordinator of the Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians in Nigeria (SOGON) said that the STOP guidelines align with international best practices, and that it was a rights-based approach to sexual reproductive health.
Abah said this at a High-Level Roundtable with policymakers on the progress of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) in Uyo.
He explained that the STOP guidelines offer legal support for the termination of pregnancies that pose a risk to the mother’s health, but not for social reasons, providing clarity for women and medical doctors.
He expressed displeasure on the low level awareness of the guidelines among healthcare workers in the state.
The health official said that SOGON was working closely with the Ministry of Health to enhance dissemination and publicity of the guidelines
“SOGON has engaged in discussions with the ministry, and efforts are underway to publicise the guidelines widely.
“Currently, they are working to ensure that not only medical practitioners but also healthcare providers are aware of the STOP guidelines.
“It’s essential to emphasise that termination of pregnancy is only permitted for health reasons, not social reasons, as stipulated by the abortion law,” Abah said.
Dr Bless Atat, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) emphasised that implementing the STOP guidelines could significantly reduce the high Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the State.
Atat said that efforts to disseminate the guidelines across the state are underway.
“In collaboration with our partners, such as the Ministry of Health, we are working together to disseminate the guidelines and provide information on its proper implementation.
“We are hoping that the more and more people that we are able to get involved with these STOP guidelines, the more we should see improvements in the reduction in maternal mortality associated with unsafe abortion in Akwa Ibom State,” he said
Similarly, Ms. Emmanuella Azu, Programme Officer of WARDC, said that her organisation was in Akwa Ibom to implement a project focused on sexual and reproductive health rights, with a specific emphasis on the STOP guidelines.
Azu expressed satisfaction with stakeholders’ commitment to disseminating the guidelines.
She advocated for a review of the existing guidelines to include social reasons for safe termination of pregnancy.
“The review will bridge the gap of women who are pregnant as a result of rape or gang raped. Women who are pregnant as a result of incest. All of these categories of women are not covered in the current STOP guideline,” she said.
The meeting was organised by the Women Advocate Research & Documentation Centre (WARDC) in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs with support from Centre for Reproductive Rights and sponsored by Global Affairs Canada.
