By SYLVESTER MWALE –
CENTRAL Province Police chief Lombe Kamukoshi has bemoaned the high levels of ignorance on abortion laws among her officers in the region.
Ms Kamukoshi noted that lack of knowledge by police officers had contributed to illegal termination of pregnancies by women, which had at times resulted in deaths and other long-term health complications.
She was speaking in Kabwe yesterday when she officially opened a two-day workshop on reproductive health with special emphasis on abortion facilitated by IPAS Zambia.
IPAS-Zambia, which has worked in Zambia since 2006, seeks to expand access to safe and comprehensive abortion services and has been providing training and equipment at more than 40 healthcare facilities.
The training of police officers in Kabwe was aimed at imparting knowledge to law enforcement officers to help effectively deal with abortion cases in their respective stations.
Ms Kamukoshi said the Constitution had rightly provided ways in which a woman could terminate a pregnancy, but that the manner officers interpreted the same laws left much to be desired.
The Penal Code indicates that the bottom line was upon a doctor to determine who should terminate a pregnancy and under what circumstances such as when the life of a mother was in danger.
She noted that unsafe abortion was a violation of human rights, especially for the unborn baby.
Ms Kamukoshi said many women and girls had died from complications arising from unsafe abortions, while others had been left with serious injuries.
She was confident that the workshop would help police officers understand the law on abortion and help them educate others.