Africa-Press – Eswatini. Some pastors have been accused of encouraging abortion among female congregants they have allegedly impregnated.
This is a way of concealing the pregnancies, according to the Eswatini Health Report: Strategic Assessment on Unintended Pregnancies, Contraception and Post Abortion Care for 2023.
The report was compiled by the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Health workers, traditional leaders, policymakers and members of the public are among the people cited to have participated in the report. It was reported that a total of 9 678 abortions were seen across nine health facilities in the period of 2019 and 2020.
The report stated that these abortions were not initiated in hospitals, but were women with complications of abortion (e.g. incomplete abortion), who came in for post-abortion care (PAC).
The health facilities included six hospitals and three healthcare centres and during this time, there were 55 500 deliveries across the nine health facilities. According to the report, a certain pill, known to this publication, is reportedly commonly used by women to unsafely induce abortions in communities. “Although access was restricted, members of the public were able to get it fairly easily in the black market in Eswatini according to some health providers. Suppliers included, but were not limited to; Indian individuals, Chinese shops and some pharmacies, according to participants,” reads the report in part. The report explained that the country’s culture and customs valued all life, regardless of age or status and, therefore, abortion was reportedly considered taboo, angered the ancestors, and brought bad luck or curses.
Sanctity
The report stated that the country was also predominantly Christian by religion, and believed in the sanctity of all life. “Abortion, regardless of the age of the conceptus, was considered murder, and was immoral or sinful, the same way killing a born human being is according to religious and traditional participants,” reads the report in part. Adding, it was highlighted that traditional community leaders and men in communities considered anyone who induced an abortion, or was party to an abortion, were to be punishable by the law of the land. They reported that both traditional and religious views were that life began at conception, not at birth, and with the view that all abortion is illegal in the country. Despite the view that abortion is illegal, the report stated that some religious leaders admitted that pastors at times encouraged abortion when they had impregnated their congregants and wished to conceal the occurrence of the pregnancy.
The report revealed that the religious leaders reported knowing women who had died from complications of abortion in their churches. “However, they maintained that this was wrong according to the Bible and was, therefore, condemned, not condoned. Pastors were reportedly in support of laws to punish those who had aborted,” reads the report in part. The report went on to mention that the religious leader participants also reported that the church had no support system for those who had committed abortions, other than preaching reform from abortion, which did not do much to help the women. Furthermore, the report disclosed an expression of interest to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to prevent unintended pregnancies by religious leaders. “As leaders of congregants, religious leaders understood their power of influence over communities and believed that when empowered with health information, they could contribute to the prevention of unintended pregnancies,” further reads the report.
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