EUROPE/SPAIN - Spanish Family Policy Institute calls for National Plan to sustain the birth rate in a situation of social catastrophe of rising numbers of abortions

Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - According to the Spanish Family Policy Institute IPF a growing number of Spanish women choose to abort their babies. IPF president Eduardo Hertfelder, said today 2 out of 10 pregnancies are terminated with abortion; every day in Spain there are 252 induced abortions which means one abortion every 5.7 minutes.
Describing the situation as a “social catastrophe” IPF calls for a National Birth Sustaining Plan PANE. The Plan, says Eduardo Hertfelder, should be three yearly and turn on two fundamental pivots: increase resources for public and private assistance including practical means such as Experts Panel to offer alternative solutions; Help, Assistance and Care Centres for pregnant mothers (CAAA); 0.5 per cent of income tax to support NGOs which help, married and unmarried pregnant mothers give birth to the child. The second pivot is assistance to pregnant women with larger family or child grants or a direct universal pregnancy grant in Euro. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 9/1/2007; righe 15, parole 207)