The Ministry of Health of Ethiopia has issued directives for the implementatllion of a draft document allowing euthanasia and medical assistance in dying, APA News reported, citing an unnamed official.

In January, the lower house of Ethiopia’s parliament approved a proclamation permitting euthanasia for patients with incurable diseases. The document was developed following months of discussions within relevant government bodies.

According to the source, the Ministry of Health document defines euthanasia as “a deliberate intervention undertaken with the explicit intention of ending life in order to relieve intractable suffering”.