Washington, April 24 (IANS). America has significantly cut funding for health facilities in 2025 and 2026. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) terminated more than 5,300 grants and contracts following the return of President Donald Trump. According to American media, its effect is also being seen on women’s health facilities. In addition, funding for HIV-related services in South Africa has also been cut.
According to American media CNN, South African nurse Keffin Ozunga said that due to huge cuts in America’s aid programs last year, the situation for women there became worse.
He told that due to American funding, it was easy to get free birth control, maternity checkup and other related health facilities through mobile clinics. Since USAID suddenly ended funding on the orders of the Trump government. Along with this, the funds given for family planning also started being cut.
CNN spoke to a number of medical providers and non-profits in six countries over the past six months. These people cited layoffs of health workers, severe shortage of birth control and continuous supply chain challenges as factors making the situation worse. Women in remote areas have very few options. In such a situation, the cut in American funding is having a very bad effect.
The effect of this cut by America is also a crisis for medicines related to family planning. The International Planned Parenthood Federation estimates that funding cuts could lead to the closure of about 1,400 medical clinics worldwide, leaving 9 million people without access to sexual and reproductive health services in 2025.
After making this cut, the Trump government has now proposed further cuts in the World Health Program in the budget appeal for the financial year 2027. This would reduce funding by billions of dollars and specifically eliminate all reproductive health programs.
The budget proposal states that the White House aims to ensure that no funding supports unrestricted access to birth control. President Trump’s budget appeal is not admissible because Congress approves funding, but it is an indication of the government’s spending priorities.
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