Churches Support Abortion Bill in Malawi

Malawi Council of Churches (MCC) has given their support for the amendment of the abortion law that allows expectant mother to terminate unwanted pregnancies under certain circumstances. 
These conditions include, rape, incest or defilement or when the pregnancy poses a threat to the woman's health or when there is evidence of a severe malformation of the foetus.
Their support is based on the staggering increase in the number of deaths of women who attempts abortion through unwholesome means in the country.Under Malawi's penal code, abortion is illegal. However, statistics from the Malawian Ministry of Health show that over 70,000 women seek abortions from quacks each year, 31,000 of which result in complications, and sometimes death.In addition to that, the use of contraceptives is prohibited in Malawi and this means that more young women are likely to have unwanted pregnancies. 

In his reaction, Reverend Alex Benson Maulana, Chairperson of MCC stated that the church will continue to preach against abortion but expressed his appreciation to the government for waging in to ameliorate maternal mortality caused by unwanted pregnancy.