Illegal Abortions Exceed Births in Srilanka

Sri Lanka is having more abortions than the number of births a year, according to an expert.

Dr. Maxi Fernandopulle while speaking at a meeting organized by the Sri Lanka Catholic Council, presided by Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said, that Srilanka records 35,500 births a year, but the number of abortions is 36,500, at the rate of 1,000 illegal abortions a day.

Dr. Fernandopulle went onto say that illegal abortions were performed at makeshift places, even by unqualified persons. He placed the number of doctors performing illegal abortions at around40,000.

Even when abortions take place at government and leading private hospitals, the equipment used lead to various infections, while mostly unregistered medicines are prescribed, said Dr. Fernandopulle.

He said that 11 per cent of maternal mortality was caused by abortions, the third highest in total.  Globally, 219 million women conceive every year and 19 million of them get abortions and 68,000 of them die in the process, while 5.3 pc are stricken with complications, temporarily or for life, he said.

Dr. Fernandopulle stressed the need for a proper sexual education for school children and family planning awareness among the youth.