CNA Staff, May 17, 2020 / 04:00 am
Pro-life groups in Ecuador say that United Nations aid to combat the coronavirus pandemic should not require access to abortion as a condition for assistance.
On April 30, Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Relations and Human Mobility confirmed it had presented to the United Nations a $46.4 million budget request to implement the U.N.'s "Humanitarian Response Plan COVID-19" whose goal is "to support national response efforts and ensure the aid is delivered in an organized manner."
One objective of the U.N. plan is to "maintain continuity of maternal, neonatal and children's health and other sexual and reproductive health services during the pandemic." These terms are understood to include access to abortion.
In addition, the plan aims to "sensitize and train healthcare personnel to implement the "Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive Health in Crisis Situations" which includes promoting "access to contraception including emergency contraception, safe legal abortion and post-abortion care."