Rome , Italy ( CNN ) -- A northern Italian region has approved a measure to pay women from low-income families not to have abortions . Authorities from the Lombardy Region , on Italy 's border with Switzerland , approved the creation of a 5-million euro ( $ 6.1 million ) fund aimed at providing help to low-income families , the region said on its website this week . The fund would grant about 4,500 euros ( $ 5,500 ) a year to a woman who changes her mind about having an abortion because of economic reasons . The woman would receive 250 euros ( $ 306 ) a month for 18 months , according to the site . `` We want to help the family , maternity , and birth rate , removing the obstacles as much as possible , beginning with those of an economic nature that make it more difficult to choose in favor of life , '' said the region 's president , Roberto Formigone . The option of accepting the check will be presented to women in abortion clinics during the consultations they have prior to having an abortion , the site said . The region 's health department said economic reasons were the predominant reason that woman have abortions . Critics attacked the measure as `` a short-term solution to a long-term problem , '' according to Italian media . The fund is called `` Nasko , '' a play on the Italian word `` nasco , '' which roughly translates to `` I 'm being born . '' About 128,000 abortions are performed in Italy every year , according to the Italian Health Ministry . That compares to 195,743 in England and Wales last year , according to the British Department of Health , and 846,181 in the United States in 2006 , according to the most recent figures reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . CNN 's Hada Messia contributed to this report .
Italian region to ask women not to have abortions . Women would be from low - income families . Authorities blame economic reasons for this . Critics call it short - term solution .