Stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State have pledged their commitment to the Safe Termination of Pregnancy (STOP) guidelines, aimed at reducing the high number of maternal deaths in the state.
The pledge was made on Thursday during a roundtable meeting with policymakers in Uyo to review progress on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR).
The meeting was organized by the Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs. It was supported by the Centre for Reproductive Rights and funded by Global Affairs Canada.
The STOP guidelines are medical protocols that direct healthcare professionals on how to carry out safe and legal abortions in Nigeria. Akwa Ibom is among the states that have adopted and localized these guidelines.
Dr. Mathias Abah, the state coordinator of the Society of Gynecologists’ and Obstetricians of Nigeria (SOGON), said the guidelines follow international best practices and are based on a rights-centered approach to reproductive health.
He explained that the guidelines allow safe termination of pregnancy only when the mother’s health is at risk, and not for social reasons. This, he said, provides both legal and medical clarity for women and healthcare providers.
Dr. Abah, however, lamented that awareness of the guidelines remains low among healthcare workers in Akwa Ibom. He said SOGON is working with the state Ministry of Health to increase publicity and ensure wider dissemination.
“SOGON has already begun discussions with the ministry, and efforts are ongoing to make sure both medical doctors and other healthcare providers are aware of the STOP guidelines. It is important to stress that termination is only allowed for health reasons, as stated by law,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr. Bless Atat, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologists at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), noted that proper implementation of the STOP guidelines could significantly reduce maternal mortality in the state.
Dr. Atat said efforts were being made, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other partners, to spread the guidelines and ensure correct application.
In the same vein, Ms. Emmanuella Azu, Programme Officer of WARDC, said her organization was implementing a project on sexual and reproductive health rights in Akwa Ibom, with particular focus on the STOP guidelines.
She welcomed the commitment of stakeholders to spreading awareness and called for a review of the guidelines to expand their scope.
According to her, the review should include social reasons for safe termination of pregnancy, especially for women who become pregnant through rape, gang rape, or incest.
“These categories of women are not covered in the current STOP guidelines, and a review would help bridge that gap,” Azu said.
