Sudanese parliament bars birth control activities, bans use of hormonal medicines

The Sudanese National Council (parliament) enacted a law banning all birth control activities and the distribution of hormonal medicines exept for those medicines permitted by the Sharia (Islamic Jurisdiction).

By virtue of this law, the UN-funded Birth Health Program will stop until it is subjected to further study. A member of SNC, Khadiga Karar, submitted an urgent request which questioned the nature of activities of this program in the River Nile province north of Sudan after reports of the complete sterilization of thousands of girls who are about 15 years old.

The member, Soad Al Fateh, condemned the authorities responsible for this program and described them as rushing to the UN to implement those projects to prevent Sudanese women form giving birth.

The Sudanese Minister of Health Ihsan Al Gishawy confessed that the ministry was not following the activities of such programs and that she will oversee them in the future.