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'Defund Planned Parenthood': Abortion Killed 42M People Last Year, the Leading Global Cause of Death

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More people died from abortions in 2018 than any other cause of death in the world. 

According to LifeNews, data compiled by Worldometers reveal that approximately 42 million abortions occurred around the world last year, making it the leading cause of death. Deaths from abortion exceeded those from cancer, HIV/Aids, suicide, and car accidents. 

Worldometers is an independent site that collects official data from governments, scientific journals, and other reputable groups like the World Health Organization. 

Those 42 million abortion deaths are not included in the total death count worldwide, which was 59 million. Therefore,  the correct total number of deaths worldwide in 2018 is approximately 101 million. 

In the United States, abortion rates have been declining for several years but it is still one of the leading causes of death in the US. An estimated 1 million babies are aborted each year in the US. 

Pro-life advocates are working tirelessly to end abortion. Thousands of activists will descend on Washington D.C. from Jan. 17-Jan. 20 for the 46th annual March for Life rally. This year's theme is "Unique from Day One" which sends the message that each life begins at conception.

"When life begins and the stages of prenatal development are scientific facts. Humanity – and our uniqueness as individuals – begins at day one, at fertilization. Life, in its most vulnerable form, should be protected," the group says in a statement on its website. "That, in essence, is why we march. We march to end abortion, with the vision of a world where the beauty, dignity, and uniqueness of every human life are valued and protected."

The Trump administration has also taken efforts to keep abortion from being seen as a legitimate form of family planning overseas.

The US delegation told the World Health Assembly in Geneva last May that abortion is not a method of population control.

"We remind our fellow delegates," the statement said, "that the International Conference on Population and Development forged international consensus that abortion should in no case be promoted as a method of family planning."

The US statement added: "The United States remains a stalwart defender and donor to maternal and children's health, life, and wellbeing. And we will never waiver on that support."

In the US, pro-life advocates continue to urge President Donald Trump to fulfill his campaign promise and defund Planned Parenthood. 

"It's very simple. Abortion is not health care," Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, told CBN News last year in an interview. "Planned Parenthood is not an institution where women go to get a flu shot or a check-up. Planned Parenthood is an institution where women go when they feel like they have no other choice. When they have to choose to pay someone to kill the very life they helped to create."

"This is outrageous. And so, we're asking President Trump to pull a hard line here and tell Congress, 'I'm going to veto anything that funds Planned Parenthood,' and that's what we expect from him," she said. 

 

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle