ILLEGAL ABORTIONS A TICKING TIME BOMB

MANZINI – The country is sitting on a ticking time bomb in as far as sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) are concerned.

This is according to the Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAS) Acting Executive Director Bongani Msibi, who said in the country, especially in the textile and apparel sector, many women were using unregulated family planning products, which could cause cancer.

In fact, he said there had been an observation that the use of unregulated family planning products increased the risk of cervical and breast cancer. 

Msibi said this during the ongoing women parliamentarians debriefing session on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum (PF) SRHR, HIV/AIDS Governance Project (2019-2022), which was held at The George Hotel yesterday. The women parliamentarians who attended the meeting were the four Regional Members of Parliament (MPs) Busisiwe Mavimbela from Manzini, Nokuthula Dlamini from Shiselweni, Nokunceda Bujela from Hhohho and Lorraine Nxumalo from Lubombo.

The acting executive director said some of these unregulated family planning products did not have leaflets for dosages and directions for use. He said the users were only given instructions using word of mouth.

“If they say a single dosage can prevent pregnancy for six months, it works, but the concern is its side effects. Some of the side effects can lead to cervical and breast cancer. This means that: ‘Today’s solutions, will be tomorrow’s challenges is true,” Msibi said.

He said their concern was that the government was providing regulated family planning commodities for free, but some people opted to use the unregulated ones.

“This means that we are sitting on a ticking time bomb,” he added.

On the same note, Manzini Region MP Busisiwe Mavimbela said even emergency pills like morning after tablets, could contribute to cancer. 

Furthermore, she said after championing the project in the textile and apparel sector, she saw the need for the programme to be implemented across the country. She said textile workers were vulnerable such that some fell pregnant because they needed money for food and later on ended up illegally aborting the pregnancy.  

“Some give birth to children, who will end up not having a father because the mother does not know who impregnated her,” the MP said.

As a result, she said this led to the increase of children who lived in orphanages like Project Canaan. 

On another note, the MPs said as they implemented the project in the regions, they would do everything in line with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini. They made an example of abortion that it was illegal (restricted) in the country, FLAS would do post abortion care (counselling). 

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