FPM Statement on Roe vs. Wade ruling

US Supreme Court decision to revoke abortion rights condemned by leading global healthcare organisations – Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine statement

25 Jun 2022

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine has joined more than 100 global healthcare organisations in condemning the decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn abortion ruling Roe v Wade, in a statement from FIGO (The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) reading:
“The United States Supreme Court decision to dismantle Roe v Wade and roll back 50 years of access to safe abortion care is a catastrophic blow to the lives of millions of women, girls and pregnant people who now face the prospect of being forced to continue pregnancies. It is a decision that will cost lives for years to come.”

The joint statement from FIGO signed by organisations including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), the British Medical Association (BMA), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and The World Association of Trainees in Obstetrics & Gynecology (WATOG) highlights that “restrictive laws do not reduce the need for abortion care. Rather, such laws increase inequities in access; nurture an environment of fear, stigmatisation and criminalisation; and put women, girls and pregnant people at risk.”

Dr Flic Gabbay, President of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, stated:

“Comprehensive abortion care is included in the list of essential health care services published by WHO (1). Each year, 4.7–13.2% of maternal deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortion (2). That is 47,000 women dying of unsafe abortion each year and an estimated five million hospitalisations for the treatment of the resultant serious complications (3). Many pharmaceutical physicians have supported multidisciplinary evidence-based development of women’s healthcare products for safe termination of pregnancy with national and international companies and organisations. This is a devastating blow for the right of access for all to medicines and care and, of course, women’s rights.”

1) WHO abortion Fact sheet https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion accessed 25 6 22
2) Say L, Chou D, Gemmill A, Tunçalp Ö, Moller AB, Daniels J et al. Global causes of maternal death: a WHO systematic analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2014 Jun; 2(6):e323-33.
3) FIGO: As the US Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade, global health care organisations call on all governments to defend access to safe and quality abortion care https://www.figo.org/us-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-global-organisations-defend-abortion

Notes for Editors

Dr Flic Gabbay is available for interviews.
Please contact Ben Cottam, Head of Policy and Communications, for more information:
b.cottam@fpm.org.uk
020 3696 9034
07912 600 645
Website: www.fpm.org.uk