(July 20, 2011) The increase in abortions among teenagers in Nepal, is pushing the
government to propose the revision of the law allowing the interruption of pregnancy.
According to a recent report by the Nepalese Health Service Department, since 2007
the number of abortions has increased by 42%. Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Minister of
Health, told AsiaNews that the report is worrying. He said "We are creating a committee
to verify the phenomenon and immediately take action. Among the proposals is the concrete
possibility of overturning the legalization of abortion. Since the legalization of
abortion in 2006, tens of thousands of young women have resorted to pregnancy termination
services offered by state and non-governmental organizations. The phenomenon has especially
affected teenagers. According to the Sanaulo Pariwar Nepal, an NGO that carries
out about 80% of abortions, this year more than 18 thousand girls aged between 15
and 18 years have interrupted their pregnancy. Of the total registered 89 thousand
abortions in the country, more than 70% was carried out by young girls under 24
years of age. Jyoti Baniya, secretary general of the Consumer Federation and a member
of the Parents Association Nepal, stressed that the government should ban abortion
and save the lives of the mothers and fetuses. He said the legal termination of pregnancy
has encouraged our children to unsafe sex, risking the lives and health of thousands
of teenagers.