Lawmakers vote to legalise abortion in Benin republic

Benin lawmakers have voted to legalise abortion in the country.

The new law, passed on Wednesday night after a heated debate in parliament, still needs to be ratified by the constitutional court before it takes effect.

Health minister Benjamin Hounkpatin lauded the new law, saying it would ease the pain for many women with unwanted pregnancies who find themselves obliged to risk their lives by using unsafe abortion methods.

He revealed that nearly 200 women die each year as the result of abortion complications.