BRASILIA, May 8 (Reuters) - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on the eve of a visit by Pope Benedict to Brazil that abortion was a public health issue that could not be ignored.

Lula was personally opposed to abortion but because of Brazil's social conditions, some pregnant women needed help, he told Roman Catholic radio stations.

"The state needs to treat this as question of public health," he said in comments made public by the government on Tuesday.

Pope Benedict has strongly denounced abortion and birth control as immoral and he is expected to reinforce that message during his five-day visit starting on Wednesday.

Abortion is illegal in Brazil but health officials estimate at least two hundred thousand clandestine abortions are performed each year.

The issue has been at the center of public debate since Brazil's new health minister called for a plebiscite on abortion earlier this year.

"If we had a good process of family planning and sex education, possibly we would not have the number of unwanted pregnancies that we have today," Lula said.

Brazil has the world's largest Catholic population but Protestant groups have been making inroads for decades.

The former union leader said in the radio interview that he knew girls who had used knitting needles in a desperate attempt to end an unwanted pregnancy.

"The state cannot ignore something that is a reality ... and not help these people," he said.

A majority of Brazilians are against changing current legislation, which permits abortion only if a pregnancy threatens a woman's life or results from rape.

Church leaders have condemned a government policy of handing out free condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS.

Lula defended the program at a public event in March, saying: "Sex is something almost everybody likes."

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