Folketingets Tværpolitiske netværk for seksuel og reproduktiv sundhed og rettigheder 2021-22
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Director General, World Health Organization
Avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
Dear Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
We, the 47 undersigned members of the
cross-party parliamentary groups for Sexual
and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland
write to you today to express our gratitude and appreciation of the important work that the
WHO is undertaking to make safe abortion available to all women and girls. In particluar, we
would like to thank you and the WHO for the development of the new safe abortion care
guidelines
that were released earlier this spring.
We know that women and girls risk their lives and their health when abortions are performed
in illegal and unsafe ways. The vast majority of the estimated 25 million unsafe abortions
that are performed annually, take place in poor parts of the world. We have known for a long
time that a large proportion of those who die from unsafe abortions live in low- and
middle-income countries. The global death toll is estimated at around 23,000 a year. Many
more are injured and suffer life-threatening consequences as a result of unsafe abortions.
Given the WHO’s influence, we expect the guidelines to contribute to changing this deeply
unjust and unfair situation. The guidelines will contribute to more abortions being carried out
using a safe method, appropriate to the duration of the pregnancy and assisted by someone
with the necessary information and skills. They will contribute to safer procedures, protect
the health of women and girls and prevent deaths caused by unsafe abortions.
We also want to express that we are deeply concerned about the domestic developments
related to the constitutional right to safe abortion in the U.S. and the domino-effects a
negative decision in the Supreme Court may have on access to safe abortion in other parts
of the world. There will always be women and girls who wish to end their pregnancy for a
number of different reasons. Strict abortion laws do not change this reality. As a result, there
is a very high risk that they will be performed in unsafe ways.
Dear Dr. Tedros. We believe in the right of every individual to make decisions about their
own body, life and future. We stand behind you and the WHO’s efforts to increase access to
safe abortion and protect sexual and reproductive rights globally. We salute your comittment
to support countries to implement the new guidelines and strengthen national programs
related to contraception, family planning and abortion services. We promise to do everything
we can to ensure that access to safe abortion remains on the Nordic, European and
international agenda.
Yours sincerely
The Swedish Parliament:
Diana Laitinen Carlsson, the Social Democrats, President of the Swedish
cross-party group for SRHR
Helena Storckenfeldt, the Moderate party, Vice President