TT can learn a lesson from Rwanda

THE EDITOR: We are looking so steadfastly at becoming a modern nation that we seldom look for lessons from poor countries.

Perhaps we should. The reluctance of the Minister of Health to establish any dialogue with those of us who wish to meet with him on the question of abortion law reform is instructive.

Why on earth would any Minister of Health be reluctant to meet with a group of citizens who have used his ministry’s data to show that a leading cause of hospitalisation is the result of an ineffective law?

Could there be an unseen relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the State and, if so, could that have anything to do with his reluctance?

If that is even remotely a possibility, we may want to look at Rwanda, one of the countries most devastated by HIV/AIDS today. The genocide that occurred there in the mid 90s has several roots — the collapse of the coffee market, drought, overgrazing, soil erosion, unemployment, population growth and lack of economic diversification. Rwanda was more than 90 percent agrarian.

But several of those factors are themselves the result of religious belief and behaviour. Rwanda is 65 percent Roman Catholic.

Rwanda’s population increased from 5.5 million in 1983 to 7.7 million in 1993. Demographers had warned of the spectre of overpopulation. Paul Magnarella is Professor of Anthropology and Law at the University of Gainesville, Florida.

Here is what he has to say:

“Religious ideology also contributed to the country’s deepening demographic problems.

The majority of Rwanda’s population were Catholic. Despite Rwanda’s evident overpopulation, those in the church and government hierarchy not only refused to promote birth control programmes, they actively opposed them.

Radical Catholic pro-life commandos raided pharmacies to destroy condoms with the approval of the Ministry of the Interior.”

The lack of dialogue between our government and those of us who, following all due process, yearn for access to the Minister of Health is not a healthy sign for our democracy.

We have now been waiting patiently for more than four months.

HAZEL ROMANY
St James