We are talking about implants, tablets and intrauterine spirals purchased at the expense of American taxpayers as part of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for low income countries.
The contraceptives were delivered to the Belgian city of Gel (Geel) back in January 2024, however, due to the action of American politics, known as Mexico City Policy, their transfer to foreign organizations was blocked. This policy prohibits financing programs directly or indirectly related to abortion.
Despite the fact that the UN structures and non-governmental organizations (in particular UNFPA and MSI Reproductive Choices) proposed to take logistics or redeem the drugs, the US government has rejected all the transmission options due to the fact that the USAID logo is depicted, and the fears that contraceptives could fall into structures that are engaged in abortion.
Reuters interlocutors noted that contraceptives will be destroyed at a specialized facility in France, and disposal will cost the American budget about $ 167 thousand.
Critics of the solution call it ideologically motivated and such that it harms women in regions where access to family planning is limited. It is primarily about the countries of Subsachard Africa, where the lack of contraceptives can lead to an increase in the level of undesirable pregnancies and the risk of dangerous abortions.
Some American lawmakers are trying to block the decision to destroy stocks through Congress, however, as the media notes, such initiatives are unlikely to have time to change the situation.
Context
According to Reuters, USAID was the main American foreign assistance agency in 2014–2024. During this period, the agency allocated or spent $ 314.3 billion. Most USAID programs are non -universe. Almost a third of all payments were sent to programs in the health sector. Ukraine is one of the largest recipients from USAID. During the full-scale war, it received about $ 40 billion, another $ 4 billion was allocated to her from 2014 to 2021.
On January 20, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed a decree on the suspension of the state external assistance programs for 90 days to check how much they meet its political goals.
On January 27, the media reported that USAID stopped funding for all programs and projects. On February 7, Trump announced the “corruption of unprecedented scales” in USAID and called on to close it. At the end of February, the Trump administration stopped more than 90% of the assistance of foreign states by USAID.
On March 18, the District Judge of the United States Theodor Chuang ruled that the American billionaire Ilon Musk and the Department of Efficiency of Public Administration probably violated the Constitution when they decided to close USAID.
On the same day, the head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adkhan Goebreesus announced a violation of the supply of drugs for HIV treatment in eight countries due to the reduction in USAID.
On March 28, the US State Department officially notified Congress that he actually dissolves USAID and transfers part of its functions to the department’s management.
