Kathmandu, September 27

Abortion has long been legalised, but 20 per cent of maternal mortality is still being attributed to unsafe abortion.

According to Family Welfare Division, only 41 per cent women are aware of the fact that abortion is legal in the country.

Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population Pushpa Chaudhary said they were unable to control unsafe abortion even after spreading awareness of safe abortion in the country for the last 20 years.

“Due to easily available abortion pills in the market, it has been quite difficult to control unsafe abortion,” she added. She also said that 25 per cent population in the rural areas had no access to safe abortion services. “If we can reach this population, we can succeed in controlling unsafe abortion,” Chaudhary said, adding that the government had been able to reduce maternal mortality rate from 20 per cent to seven in recent years.

In the same way, Minister of State  for Health and Population Surendra Kumar Yadav said the ministry had tabled Reproductive Health Bill, which proposed to allow women to choose when they wanted to have baby, in the Parliament. Meanwhile, director general of the Department of Drug Administration Narayan Prasad Dhakal said DDA had restricted pharmacies and drug stores from selling abortion pills without doctor’s prescription.