Health Minister said any change in abortion legislation needs a popular referendum
Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said that the government respects the exceptions established by law, which authorize abortion. The procedure is allowed in specific cases: risk to the mother’s life, fetal anencephaly and rape.
“We are against abortion. We respect the exceptions of the law, which is a 1940 law. What are the exceptions? Rape, interruption of management in the mother’s life situation, plus cases of anencephaly”said the minister.
Queiroga made the statement during the Social Security and Family Commission, in the Chamber of Deputies, this Tuesday (5.Jul.2022).
Regarding the change in the legislation on abortion, the Minister of Health defended that the legalization of the procedure go through a popular referendum. “As a doctor and as a citizen, I argue that a change of this type, which is directly related to life, which is an ingrained clause in the Federal Constitution, can only be decided upon by popular referendum”said Queiroga.
PRIMER
The abortion agenda was mentioned in the commission after a document released by the ministry on June 8. The booklet, edited and distributed by the federal government, states that “there is no such thing as ‘legal’ abortion” in Brazil. According to the document, “every abortion is a crime, and the penalty is waived in specific cases” provided for by law.
During a public hearing, the secretary of Primary Health Care of the Ministry of Health, Raphael Câmara, stated that there is no medical justification for abortion. In addition, Câmara said he does not want to be part of a society that he considers normal.”kill babies in the belly at 7, 8, 9 months”, and questioned abortion as a public health issue in Brazil.
A group of 78 organizations published a document calling for the guide to be revoked. Here’s the intact (238KB) of the publication.
HEALTH UNIC SYSTEM
At the committee meeting on Monday (July 5), the Minister of Health said that Conass (National Council of Health Secretaries) and Conasems (National Council of Municipal Health Secretaries) do not fulfill their role.
For Queiroga, the advice is “integrated by people with a very political bias” and, therefore, do not fulfill their role in the “social control of the SUS”.
PANDEMIC
Queiroga defended his ministry’s decision to decree an end to the Covid-19 emergency in Brazil. The end of Espin (Public Health Emergency of National Importance) was on May 22.
“There is no need to say that we are experiencing a public health emergency of national importance with all these events happening”said the Minister of Health.
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