A global investigation by openDemocracy has revealed how two influential United States Christian conservative groups, Heartbeat International, and Human Life International, are funding anti-abortion campaigns with misinformation in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
The investigation, which was conducted in 18 countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia, documented how these organisation lure vulnerable women into keeping pregnancy they had rather not.
The organisations through these affiliates replicate the controversial Crisis Pregnancy Centres in Africa and across the world.
CPC are common in the United States with the reputation of using misinformation to dissuade women from getting abortion.
Under the current President Donald Trump-led United States Government, many American states are beginning to roll back on their abortion polices.
In 2019 alone, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, and five other states signed restrictive laws on abortion.
While abortion is illegal in Nigeria, medical misinformation can have grievous health consequences.
The affiliates of these groups working in Nigeria make use of misinformation and sometimes persuade their victims into keeping the pregnancy.
These affiliates employ similar mechanisms to lure vulnerable women and teenagers in countries where abortion has been legalised.
In an instance, openDemocracy found that in Italy and Nigeria, the organisations likened abortion to murder.
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