In the article ‘Climate plans across Europe’ (March 26), Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli and 26 other mayors of European cities, wrote: “If climate change is global, solutions are, first and foremost, local... and because large cities are at the crossroads of these two levels, they are at the forefront of the fight against climate change.”
They continued: “This is why, we, the European capitals and metropolises that represent more than 60 million inhabitants and have significant investment capacity (€2,000 billion GDP), have decided to join forces and strengthen the instruments that will lead us toward the energy and environmental transition.”
In 2012, 5.2 million children were born in the 28 countries of the European Union while about four million unborn children were aborted. In Malta and Gozo, about 4,000 children are born annually. About 300 abortions are made, almost all overseas, by people living in Malta and Gozo.
In an article titled ‘Measures to reduce certain birth defects’ (March 5), it was stated that “according to figures released by the Directorate for Health Information and Research, a baby with one or more major birth defects is born in Malta every three days”.
In the same article, paediatrician Victor Grech recommended that “while planning a pregnancy, it is important that aspiring mothers take care of their health because this can reduce certain birth defects... Make sure you are healthy and before you become pregnant speak to an obstetrician who will probably tell you to take folic acid, which can drastically reduce the incidence of spina bifida [a congenital disorder]”.
He added: “Cut down on, and, if possible, eliminate, alcohol consumption and stop smoking. If you have a poor diet, the obstetrician will recommend you take a multivitamin preparation. Unfortunately, most people don’t prepare for pregnancy.”
According to the report on the 19th meeting of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Malta of the UN General Assembly, held on November 1, 2013 in Geneva, the Malta delegation, headed by Helena Dalli, Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, “reiterated the government’s belief in the need to protect the right to life, including that of the unborn child.
“It expressed the view that, as human life begins at conception, the termination of pregnancy through procedures of induced abortion at any stage of gestation, was an infringement of this right. Malta, therefore, could not recognise abortion or any other form of termination of pregnancy as a legitimate measure of family planning. Where the life of a mother was at risk, a medical intervention to save her life, even if that could result in the death of the child, was not precluded.”
When in government, the Nationalist Party had committed itself in its European Parliament election manifesto, “to work for the fundamental right to life... from conception to natural death”.
Clearly, the PN was for loving and responsible care in the womb, man’s first environment, his first world. It had declared its commitment to work also to see that the laws, programmes and policies of the EU follow the same direction.
Malta can lead the way by deciding to specialise in womb ecology
In a declaration on “current global issues”, which used to appear on the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s website, the Nationalist government had declared that “Malta will continue to support international actions and policies that respect the rights of the unborn child and foster the best interests of children”.
In this scenario, the Malta Unborn Child Movement (MUCM) suggests that the Valletta mayor, in particular, and the other 26 EU mayors listed in the Times of Malta article start their fight also against climate change in the womb.
Annually, 9.2 million unborn children in the EU are potentially exposed to physical, mental and emotional harm and deliberate death in the womb due to the inadvertent exposure of would-be mothers and fathers to toxic substances and emissions, especially at places of work in Malta and the EU.
There is, then, the inconsiderate consumption of drugs, alcohol and tobacco by parents before and/or during the pregnancy.
Abortion is another threat facing the unborn child.
The group of 27 mayors who wrote in this newspaper should also invite their counterparts in other EU cities to join this worthy endevour.
Dingli and the other EU mayors wrote that “because cities are among the major contributors to climate change, it is our duty to find viable paths for our future.” People living in cities are also contributing to climate change in the womb. The 27 mayors should, therefore, use the full measure of the synergy between them in a determined effort to curb birth defects that start in the womb.
With the Maltese Parliament totally in favour of the rights, protection and development of unborn children, Malta can help in this field by promoting ‘global’ womb ecology and ‘local’ good ‘preparation for pregnancy’.
Furthermore, with the projected wide expansion of the ‘local’ health services and the opening in Malta of the Barts hospital, Malta can also lead the way by deciding to specialise in womb ecology.
Barts Health is part of UCLPartners, Europe’s largest and strongest academic health science partnership.
The objective of UCLPartners is to translate cutting edge research and innovation into measurable health gain for patients and populations through partnership across settings and sectors and through excellence in education.
Parliament’s Health, Family and Social Affairs Committees, with the assistance of the Directorate for Health Information and Research and the Research Department of the President’s Foundation for Social Well-being should also take joint initiatives in this respect.
They, and Parliament, have already successfully done so in the past after an MUCM presentation.
In 2003, they unanimously passed the Commissioner for Children Law, which promoted the interests of the unborn child. In 2006, they unanimously passed the Domestic Volence Law that gave legal protection also to unborn children in Malta.
Tony Mifsud is coordinator, Malta Unborn Child Movement.