The United States government has cut funding for Marie Stopes International -which offers free contraception, advice on family planning, sexual health and sometimes abortion.
This move follows Marie Stopes’ non-compliance with a set of regulations championed by Republican President Donald Trump in January 2017.
According to the regulations, any foreign NGO offering advice or carrying out abortion will not get any funding.
The policy by the U.S want any foreign NGO under its family planning aid to certify that according to Citizen Digital that “perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in foreign countries or provide financial support to any other foreign … (NGO) that conducts such activities.”
MSI and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), however, in defending their right to offer abortion said it has a right to offer advice and services to anyone who feels not ready to start a family.
Trump’s anti-abortion advocacy is aimed at toning down the negativity elicited by the debate about abortion among Christians worldwide.
USAID said while aid continues to trickle down to 733 other non- profit organizations, MSI will get no funding for rejecting the regulations.
This is expected to cripple MSI operations.
“All those women who’ve been receiving free contraception will have to stop using it because they can’t afford it,” said Georges Coulibaly, Marie Stopes’ Burkina Faso manager told Reuters.
IPPF on its part noted that even without USAID funding, they are looking up to other donors to fund their course.
“Commitments have been made, but the money has not been forthcoming,” IPPF’s Kwamboka said according to Citizen Digital.
“This reliance on aid from other countries…it cannot go on.”