KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population has released a draft bill to amend the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, 2018, and is seeking public feedback.
The Ministry issued a notice asking for any opinions or suggestions on the draft bill to be submitted within 15 days. The current Act allows for abortion up to 28 weeks of pregnancy.
However, the government is now proposing to loosen these restrictions, potentially allowing abortions at any stage of pregnancy. This proposed change has sparked differing views among healthcare professionals and human rights activists.
Healthcare professionals point to cases where infants born as early as 20 weeks can survive. While they agree that abortion should be available at any time in emergencies to save the mother’s life, they argue against applying this to routine situations.
In contrast, human rights activists contend that women’s right to terminate unwanted pregnancies should not be curtailed, advocating for broader access to abortion services.
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