Sir, - Having been in South Africa when President Bush announced his intention to stop funds for "organisations which advocate abortion", I know that this announcement was interpreted by the media in Africa, and on international media networks, as a direct threat to the maternal health programmes supported by UNFPA, for which I have the honour to be a goodwill ambassador.
To my certain knowledge none of these organisations advocate abortion. However they do have to deal with the consequences of the millions of abortions carried out in appalling conditions in the many countries in which they work. The only hope to reduce the high maternal mortality is to provide the services to protect women's health and prevent the need for abortions. This is what UNFPA is doing through the local and international organisations with which they work.
Mr Bush has a perfect right to advance his domestic agenda - but please not at the risk of the lives of millions of women who need services and information which will prevent them choosing the option of unsafe abortions, which are the direct cause of many unnecessary deaths. - Yours, etc.,
Mary Banotti, MEP, Dublin 2.