USAID Funding Freeze Threatens Women’s Health and Rights Worldwide

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The recent freeze on U.S. foreign aid by the Trump administration is expected to significantly impact sexual and reproductive health programs globally, particularly affecting women. USAID, which distributed $43 billion in assistance last year—accounting for nearly 40% of global humanitarian aid—has seen funding suspended for at least 90 days, leading to immediate repercussions for over 100,000 individuals across 14 countries, according to Raquel Martín of the NGO Entre Culturas.

The suspension of various programs, including those aimed at malaria and HIV protection, has already left nearly two million women and girls without access to contraceptive treatments, with that number potentially rising to four million in the coming weeks. Experts from the Guttmacher Institute warn that this funding halt could lead to 8,000 maternal deaths and a surge in unintended pregnancies due to lack of reproductive health services.

This funding freeze, seen as politically motivated, marks a drastic shift in U.S. foreign aid policy, threatening long-established programs aimed at promoting gender equality and combating gender-based violence.

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