Good News: Gender-Based Abortion Numbers Decrease in Armenia, Says Arsen Torosyan

Armenia's Minister of Health, Arsen Torosyan, has shared a photo on his Facebook page and addressed the issue of gender-based abortions. The Minister emphasized that children should be wanted regardless of their gender.

"Children should be wanted, regardless of gender.

We have good news. The number of gender-based abortions in our country is gradually decreasing, approaching natural rates. Naturally, without interventions, for every 100 baby girls, 105 baby boys are born.

According to preliminary data, in 2018, that figure was 108.5 boys for every 100 girls. Between 2008 and 2012, the average girl-boy ratio among newborns was 100/115; in 2014, it was 100/111.4; in 2015, 100/112.7; in 2016, 100/111.9; and in 2017, 100/109.8.

P.S. The children in the picture are my son and daughter," he wrote.