MOHAP announces defined cases of permissible abortion

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) has announced the defined cases of permissible abortion and their controls and procedures to preserve the pregnant woman’s life.

The Ministry has affirmed that new controls and procedures were issued to define and regulate cases of permissible abortion in the UAE.

The new regulation requires abortion requests to be made by a dedicated committee that will be formed within each health authority by a decision of MOHAP or the head of the emirate’s health authority.

The Committee should comprise of an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist, a psychiatry specialist, and a representative of the Public Prosecution.

The Committee is permitted to consult a third party with the appropriate speciality and expertise when needed.

The Ministry stated that conducting an abortion procedure is permissible if continuing the pregnancy endangers the pregnant woman’s life, in the absence of any alternative way to save her life, or if the fetus’s deformation is severe, proven, and will affect the newborn’s health and life.

This case should be supported by a medical report issued by a specialised medical committee. Several other cases of permissible abortion have been defined, provided that the gestational period at the time of the abortion procedure does not exceed 120 days.

An abortion procedure should be only performed in a healthcare facility licensed by the competent health authority, by a specialist obstetrician-gynaecologist, who licensed to practice within the country.

The procedure should be free of any medical complications which may put the pregnant woman’s life at high risk.

The facility should also detail the rights and responsibilities of the pregnant woman and explain to her the necessary health care requirements before and after the procedure.

Healthcare facilities in the UAE have also been obligated, by the new controls, to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of the personal data of a pregnant woman undergoing an abortion.

Additionally, it is the responsibility of the health authority to monitor and supervise the activities of the healthcare facilities licensed to perform abortions and evaluate their compliance.