WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden signed a new executive order on August 3 to help ensure access to abortion.

In statements made virtually from the White House, Biden said that the proposal is a response to "the healthcare crisis that has unfolded" since the US Supreme Court's June decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which removed the protection of women's constitutional rights to abortion.

The US President said,  the executive order will help women who need to receive medical care outside of their home state while ensuring that healthcare professionals abide by federal law to prevent delays or rejections of care that is medically required.

Tuesday, the US Justice Department filed a lawsuit to defend patients' constitutional rights to obtain emergency medical care.

The lawsuit contested an Idaho bill that would effectively outlaw abortion beginning on August 25.

One of the most contentious topics in the US has been abortion. States are free to enact their own laws on the medical practise in the absence of Roe v. Wade. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, at least 10 states have outlawed abortion.

At least ten states have banned abortion following the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Roe v. Wade.

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