The prestigious British medical journal The Lancet is chiding the Canadian government for refusing to put abortion funding on its G8 agenda.
An editorial in The Lancet says it's "hypocritical and unjust" that Canadian women can access safe abortions yet the government won't ensure that women living abroad can do the same.
"70,000 women die from unsafe abortions worldwide every year. The Canadian government does not deprive women living in Canada from access to safe abortions; it is therefore hypocritical and unjust that it tries to do so abroad," the editorial reads.
The editorial applauds Canada's decision to make maternal and child health a priority at the G8 summit, which Canada will host next month in Huntsville, Ont. But the journal takes exception to the "conscious decision" to omit abortion funding from that plan.
"Although the country's decision only affects a small number of developing countries where abortion is legal, bans on the procedure, which are detrimental to public health, should be challenged by the G8, not tacitly supported," the editorial says.
"Canada and the other G8 nations could show real leadership with a final maternal health plan that is based on sound scientific evidence and not prejudice."
While Canada has championed the plan to bring basic health services to the poorest of pregnant women and children, its position on abortion funding has been at odds with other countries.
The Conservative government has faced a barrage of criticism for refusing to include abortion funding in a maternal-health plan at next month's G8 summit. Aid groups and opposition MPs have accused the Tories of pandering to a socially conservative agenda at the expense of the poorest of pregnant women.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has defended the decision, noting: "Canadians want to see their foreign aid money used for things that will help save the lives of women and children in ways that unite the Canadian people rather than divide them."
Earlier this week, Maureen McTeer, wife of former Progressive Conservative prime minister Joe Clark, said in comments to CTV's "Power Play" that the decision not to fund abortion as part of the maternal health initiative will contribute to the loss of life of women and young girls.
McTeer, who works with the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, said women will continue to choose abortion without Canada's support, even if it means risking their lives.
"What in the world are we saying to our partners around the world? Why are we so smug about saying to them, ‘Well, figure it out as best you can?'" she wondered.
Harper says repeatedly that he imposed the ban because he doesn't want to reopen the abortion debate.
"The fact of the matter is Canadians want to see their foreign aid money used for things that will help save the lives of women and children in ways that unite the Canadian people rather than divide them," the Prime Minister said last week.
