Trump’s global gag rule puts safe abortion in jeopardy
Feb 1, 2017
In his first week as President of the United States of America, Donald Trump has demonstrated a callous disregard for women’s rights by reinstating and extending the so-called global gag rule, a policy which will prevent all organisations receiving US foreign aid for health from including abortion referrals or information within their programmes. Not only have similar policies proved ineffective in reducing abortions in the past, the Global Gag Rule has been shown to increase the number of unsafe abortions because it reduces access to a whole range of family planning services.
Trump´s version of the global gag rule expands the policy to all global US health funding, including HIV/AIDS or maternal health. In southern Africa, where HIV-related illnesses and unsafe abortions are a major driver of pregnancy-related deaths. Health experts, including aid agency, Doctors without Borders, warn that thousands of lives are at risk.
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Source, Thought Leader/Amnesty International: http://thoughtleader.co.za/amnestyinternational/2017/02/01/on-guard-against-the-global-gag-rule-barriers-to-safe-abortion/