US Plans to Destroy $10 Million in Contraceptives Sparks Outcry

More than 1.4 million women and girls in Africa face a significant loss of access to contraceptives as the United States prepares to destroy a stockpile valued at $10 million stored in Belgium. The planned incineration of these supplies has raised serious concerns among civil society organizations and politicians, who argue that the destruction of these contraceptives will adversely affect reproductive health services across several African nations.

According to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the contraceptives were initially intended for distribution to lower-income countries by the now-defunct United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The stockpile, which is set for destruction in France, consists of products with expiration dates ranging from 2027 to 2029, with approximately 77% earmarked for countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mali, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Dr. Bakari, Project Coordinator at UMATI, IPPF’s Member Association in Tanzania, highlighted the dire situation, noting, “We are facing a major challenge. The impact of the USAID funding cuts has already significantly affected the provision of sexual and reproductive health services in Tanzania – leading to a shortage of contraceptive commodities, especially implants.” Tanzania was set to receive over 1 million injectable contraceptives and 365,000 implants from this stockpile, which accounts for more than 40% of the total shipment.

The repercussions of the funding cuts are already being felt in Kenya. Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director of the Reproductive Health Network in Kenya and a member of IPPF, stated, “The funding freeze has caused stock-outs of contraceptives, leaving facilities with less than five months’ supply instead of the required 15 months.” She further noted that the withdrawal of USAID support has created a 46% funding gap in Kenya’s national family planning program.

Historically, the United States has been a leading contributor to global family planning efforts, donating approximately $600 million annually, which represents 40% of global donor funding. The cancellation of pending procurement contracts has widened a global funding gap from $167 million to $210 million across 32 countries, according to the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC).

The coalition has warned that burning this stockpile could lead to unintended consequences. They estimate that failure to deliver these supplies could result in 362,000 unintended pregnancies, 161,000 unplanned births, and 110,000 unsafe abortions. The RHSC emphasized that when a woman’s preferred contraceptive is unavailable, she may resort to less effective alternatives, potentially overwhelming the supply chain of those products.

Political opposition to the destruction of the contraceptives has emerged in Europe. During a briefing in late July, Thomas Pigott, spokesperson for the US State Department, indicated that officials were still determining the next steps regarding the stock in Belgium. Meanwhile, French Green Party politicians have urged President Emmanuel Macron to intervene.

“We cannot allow Donald Trump’s anti-choice agenda to unfold on our territory. And so today, France must mediate with the Commission,” stated MEP Mélissa Camara (France/The Greens), one of the signatories of a letter advocating for intervention. Nonetheless, the French health ministry informed AFP that there is no legal basis for intervention by a European health authority to recover these medical products, citing that contraceptives do not fall under major therapeutic interests and that there is no current supply shortage.

The impending destruction of these contraceptives underscores a critical humanitarian issue, as millions of women and girls stand to lose access to essential reproductive health services amid growing global funding challenges.