Source: The Guardian
The Catholic church has remained silent in the face of the mounting crisis caused by the Zika virus in Latin America, which has led at least four countries to urge women to avoid pregnancy for up to two years.
The church has not eased its proscription on artificial contraception and abortion despite strong indications that the virus spread by mosquitoes is the cause of devastating birth defects across the region. Thousands of babies have been born with unusually small brains and heads, a condition known as microcephaly.
The rights of women to make decisions about pregnancies must be at the forefront of the response to the Zika crisis, Tewodros Melesse, director general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said on Thursday.
“Despite opposition, in recent decades Latin America has made great strides in amplifying access to contraception. However much more needs to be done. In the face of the Zika virus, these gains need to be echoed throughout the region – especially for adolescents, poor women and those living in rural areas who are most likely to be exposed to the virus and least likely to have access to reproductive health services,” Melesse said.
“Access to contraception should be available to all. Governments must ensure their medical services have the supplies for those who want it. We recommend strengthening family planning programmes and access to safe abortion services for those women who need it and where it is permitted by law.”
Latin America is home to more than 425 million Catholics – nearly 40% of the world’s Catholic population. Although the proportion of adults identifying themselves as Catholic in the region has fallen from 90% in the 1960s to 69% today, the church is still highly influential on social attitudes and public policy.
In most Latin American countries, abortion is tightly restricted, and in at least four – Chile, El Salvador, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic – there are no exceptions granted. Even so, an estimated 4.4m women had abortions – the vast majority unsafe or illegal – in 2008.
Categories: Catholic Church, Disease, Latin America, The Muslim Times