‘Benue recorded 54,000 unsafe abortions in 2018’

The Centre for Family and Reproductive Health Support Initiative said that at least, 54, 000 cases of unsafe abortions were recorded in Benue State in 2018.

CFRHSI Vice Chairman, Dr Chiza Ogboaja, who made the disclosure at an interactive session with newsmen in Makurdi, said the record was obtained from the task shifting and task sharing policy of Benue State Ministry of Health, 2018.

Ogboaja said the high rate of unwanted pregnancies in the state required a budget line to address the matter, adding that if there was no budget for family planning, there would be no progression to achieve family planning.

The Chief Medical Director of Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Prof. Terlumun Swende, said Nigeria constituted less than two percent of the world population, but accounted for 10 percent maternal deaths.

“We have unfairly maternal deaths, mostly from aborted and unwanted pregnancies” he said.