Read More: Launching the #SheDecides Campaign to Help Keep Women Alive Under Trump's Global Gag Rule These programs have also allowed girls to stay in school, pursue jobs, and have children if and when they are ready. Marie Stopes International estimates that without alternative funding, it will be forced to scale back its services, which could result in upwards of 6.5 million unintended pregnancies, 2.2 million abortions, of which 2.1 million would be unsafe abortions, and 21,700 maternal deaths, from 2017 to 2020.įor decades, the US government has been a global leader investing in programs that improve voluntary access to contraceptives, maternal, newborn, and child health, and prevent and treat deadly diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS. When the policy was last in effect, Family Health Options Kenya had to close six clinics after losing funding, leaving 9,000 people with little access to health care, most of which are in the poorest and hardest to reach areas. Read More: UK to Host Family Planning Summit, Amid Fears of Void Left by Global Gag Rule The implications of the Global Gag Rule on these clinics and organizations will be devastating. Many organizations provide comprehensive health care, especially in rural areas where there may only be one clinic serving as a one-stop-shop providing everything from immunization to contraceptives to maternal and child care services to HIV and malaria treatment. How will the new Global Gag Rule impact the poorest families, particularly women and girls? This expansion would affect 15 times more funding – and millions more women and families – than the previous Global Gag Rule. This means that some of the most effective foreign NGOs in 60 low- and middle-income countries that provide prevention and lifesaving treatment for everything from HIV/AIDS to malaria, tuberculosis, Zika, maternal and child health, and immunization will risk losing funding and could possibly be forced to shut down if they or their partners use non-US government funds to provide, refer someone to, or even discuss abortion services. Although the language is unclear, the Administration’s Presidential Memorandum appears to expand the Global Gag Rule to all US global health funding. In the past, the policy applied only to US international family planning funds. How is this instatement of the Global Gag Rule different from past implementations?

In some countries, abortion rates (particularly unsafe abortions) went up – not down – as women were unable to access contraceptives and had more unintended pregnancies. Research shows that when this policy was last in effect, more women and infants died due to pregnancy-related complications. Read More: Norway Commits $10 Million for Women's Healthcare as Part of #SheDecides Fund Current US law under the Helms Amendment already prevents US funds from paying for abortion, so the effect of the Gag Rule will be to cut off vital US funds to foreign NGOs providing crucial services such as maternal and child health care, HIV testing and counseling, comprehensive sex education, and contraceptive services for the people who need them most. The Global Gag Rule prohibits international NGOs that receive US funds from providing, referring to, or even sharing information about abortion where it is legal, even with their own, private funds. The Global Gag Rule also threatens efforts to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, Zika, and even cancer. This policy “jeopardizes the health and well-being of the world’s most vulnerable girls and women,” as UN Foundation President & CEO Kathy Calvin explained. On January 23, 2017, the current US Administration instated a more harmful version of the Mexico City Policy, otherwise known as the Global Gag Rule. This post was co-authored by the UN Foundation’s Kate Dodson and Seema Jalan Ignacio.

Global gag rule