You may have noticed during the recent discussion on the three-day wait that Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and others repeatedly quoted the World Health Organisation (WHO) in defence of wanting to get rid of the life-saving reflection period.

There’s no disputing WHO does valuable work in some areas but, on abortion, politics has overridden evidence and ethics, not just recently but for many years. Only last week, the Human Reproduction Program (HRP) of WHO released another promotional video advocating abortion worldwide.

WHO’s name carries obvious weight, which helps explain why pro-abortion groups in Ireland and elsewhere rely on it so heavily. It is now rare for a pro-abortion group to issue a press release without quoting or referencing WHO. The tactic has become entirely predictable and should not go unchallenged.

WHO, as a body, blurs the ethical distinction between necessary medical interventions during pregnancy to save the life of the mother and induced abortion, where the sole intention is to end the life of the unborn baby. Calling a procedure that intentionally ends another human life “healthcare” corrupts both medicine and language.

WHO also has nothing to say about how babies who survive abortion should be cared for, or whether they should be cared for at all. We know from parliamentary questions that 108 babies were born alive following abortions in Ireland over a four-year period. We do not know what care, if any, they received before they died.

So the next time you see Sinn Féin or the Social Democrats cite WHO on abortion, do not ignore it. Write a letter to a newspaper, email your local TDs and challenge it. Developing a healthy intolerance for false claims on this issue – and, most importantly, acting on it – is key to turning the corner and rekindling respect for life across society at large.