E/C.12/UGA/CO/1 of policies and programmes to reduce preventable maternal morbidity and mortality (A/HRC/21/22 and Corr.1 and 2). Mental health 34. The Committee is concerned about the Mental Health Bill, which is outdated and includes derogatory language and discriminatory provisions. The Committee is also concerned about the lack of specialized mental-health personnel, especially in rural areas (art. 12). The Committee recommends that the State party expedite the adoption of the Mental Health Bill and ensure that it includes the rights of mental-health patients. It should also take steps to strengthen the presence of qualified mental-health personnel in rural areas. Sexual and reproductive health 35. The Committee is concerned that the conditions under which an abortion may be permitted in the State party are too restrictive. It is also concerned about the prevalence of unsafe abortions, which are a major cause of maternal mortality in the State party. The Committee is further concerned about the high rate of teenage pregnancy in the State party and at the inadequate sexual and reproductive health-care services and education for adolescents as well as the limited supply and use of contraceptives (art. 12). The Committee recommends that the State party revise its abortion legislation, including by considering decriminalizing abortion and providing for exceptions to the general prohibition on abortion in certain cases. It should also raise awareness on the legal exceptions among women and medical health-care personnel and ensure women’s access to abortion and post-abortion care services without discrimination in order to combat the prevalence of unsafe and illegal abortions. The Committee also recommends that the State party redouble its efforts to bring down the high rate of teenage pregnancies and ensure the accessibility, availability and affordability of sexual and reproductive health services, particularly in rural areas. It further recommends that the State party expand and reinforce comprehensive and ageappropriate sexual and reproductive health education for both sexes in the curricula of primary and secondary schools, and introduce education and awareness-raising programmes for the public at large. Right to education 36. The Committee appreciates the strides made by the State party to improve children’s enrolment in primary school and achieve gender parity at this level. It remains concerned, however, at the lack of statistics concerning completion rates at all school levels. It also expresses concern at the: (a) High school dropout rates and low transition rate of pupils from primary to secondary level, especially among girls, mainly attributed to early marriage, teenage pregnancy and excessive housework; (b) Deteriorating quality of education in public schools, hidden costs, lack of motivation and absenteeism of teachers that may be related to low salaries and outdated teaching materials; (c) Widening of the gap in access to quality education resulting from the increase in the provision of private education, disproportionately affecting girls and children of lowincome families; 12