PUTRAJAYA, Sept 29 ― The Health Ministry gave medical and scientific input on the Zika virus including the incidence of infection to pregnant women, to the National Fatwa Council yesterday.
Its minister Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam said there was, however, no final decision reached on the abortion of foetus for mothers infected with the Zika virus, at the High-Level Committee meeting on Zika yesterday.
The meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, with members of the Fatwa Council also present.
“In the meantime, the Health Ministry will continue with its current policy on Zika infection,” he said when asked by reporters on the meeting which was also attended by representatives of the relevant agencies.
Met while attending the National Environmental Health Action Plan (NEHAP) Conference, here, Dr Subramaniam added that the Health Ministry was represented by its director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and secretary-general Datuk Dr Chen Chaw Min at the meeting on Zika.
It was earlier reported that the ministry would meet with the National Fatwa Council on a joint stand on abortion for mothers infected with the Zika virus, which could result in the birth defect, microcephaly, where affected babies have a smaller head than average.
The Cabinet had earlier instructed the ministry to discuss the matter with the Fatwa Council to arrive at a national consensus on how to deal with the issue.
So far, only the Federal Territory mufti had issued a statement that pregnant mothers infected with Zika could terminate their pregnancy.
The existing law in this country only allows abortion in situations where the mother’s life is at risk.
Until yesterday, Zika infection cases in this country remained at six, including a pregnant woman in Johor Baru. ― Bernama
