The pledge by Stephen Harper not to include funding for abortions in his agenda for maternal and child health, which he will propose to the G8 meeting in June, has caused confusion in Canada where, of course, most abortions are publicly funded. Many people, it seems, are under the illusion that abortion access in the developing world will improve women’s health. The opposite is true, as outlined in a Letter to the Editor submitted to The Hamilton Spectator, a longer version of which is given here.

The Canadian Press-Harris/Decima poll (The Hamilton Spectator May 17) showing that most Canadians oppose Stephen Harper’s refusal to fund abortions in developing nations is at odds with a poll by Environics Research Group/Life Canada, November 2009, showing that 67 per cent of Canadians wanted public funding of abortions to be restricted; 48 per cent favoured funding only for abortion in medical emergencies and 18 per cent favoured no public funding. This highlights the dichotomy of Ottawa proposing not to fund abortions in developing nations while most provinces pay for abortion on demand here.

The contention that public funding of abortions in developing nations will reduce maternal mortality is not supported by the facts. According to the World Health Organization, Ireland, where abortion is illegal, has a maternal mortality rate of one death per 100,000 live births. In Canada, where abortion is legal, the rate is seven.

In Chile, where abortion is restricted, the rate is 16 deaths per 100,000 live births, while in Guyana, where abortion is legal, it is 470.

In Africa, where one would expect differences in health care services to make a commensurate difference in maternal mortality, access to abortion does not demonstrate a better outcome: South Africa’s health care services exceed those of Uganda (2.5 times the number of hospital beds per capita). It provides legal access to abortions; Uganda limits access. If legal abortion made for better maternal health, you would expect maternal mortality to be much lower in South Africa than in Uganda. However, the South African rate is 400 deaths per 100,000 live births while the Ugandan rate is 550.

In Poland, the number of abortions declined from nearly 60,000 in 1990, the year after it was made illegal, to only 328 in 2007. Maternal deaths have fallen by more than 75 per cent per cent, according to a National Post article by Ian Gentles, de Veber Institute Director of Research.