‘Trojan horse moment’: anti-rights groups seize chance to fill void left by US aid cuts

Ultra-conservative Christian organisations look to reshape global health landscape as new aid agreements open door to demands restricting family planning services

Isabel Choat
Wed 17 Dec 2025

The sudden stop work order on USAID in January 2025 sent shock waves around the world. Many health clinics were immediately shut down, leaving millions without access to vital medicines and facilities, with potentially deadly consequences, especially for HIV patients, children, and women and adolescent girls.

To many, the subsequent axing of 83% of USAID programmes seemed like pure nihilism, engineered by ideologues who wanted to kill off the agency. But there was a long-term vision behind the destruction. The gutting of USAID has cleared a path for the next phase of a plan to reshape the global health landscape, say reproductive justice campaigners.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/17/trojan-horse-moment-anti-rights-groups-fill-void-us-aid-cuts

The Ripple Effects of the U.S. Retreat from International Reproductive Care

U.S. cuts to global health funding are putting reproductive rights, healthcare access and human rights at risk worldwide. Human rights experts discuss exactly what’s happening—and what would stop the suffering.

10/19/2025
by Jaime M. Gher, Payal Shah and Floriane Borel

The U.S. has long been the largest donor to global health programs, but under the Trump administration, that support is rapidly disappearing. The resulting funding cuts are devastating reproductive health access, disease prevention efforts and human rights around the world.

In this Q&A, global health and human rights experts Jaime M. Gher, Payal Shah and Floriane Borel break down the global ripple effects—and the urgent need for action.

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2025/10/19/usa-trump-international-global-health-aid-cuts/

The First 100 Days of the Trump-Vance Administration: Attacks on Reproductive Freedom and Scientific Evidence

Amy Friedrich-Karnik, Anna Bernstein, Emma Stoskopf-Ehrlich, Guttmacher Institute
April 24, 2025

In its first 100 days, the Trump-Vance administration has attempted to dismantle and disrupt a broad range of domestic and international programs and policies, sowing chaos and negatively impacting the lives of millions. Through executive orders, funding freezes, contract terminations, mass layoffs and other actions—many of which have been challenged as unconstitutional—these policy changes have, by design, had an especially detrimental impact on the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of people in the US and across the world.

These actions constitute an attack on both science and the basic value of reproductive freedom. Their impact has been immediate and will continue to have long-term and far-reaching consequences.

Continued: https://www.guttmacher.org/2025/04/first-100-days-trump-vance-administration-attacks-reproductive-freedom-and-scientific

24.04.2025

Commentary

Geneva Consensus Declaration

DRC – Dr. Jean-Claude Mulunda: Breaking the silence on the need for safe abortion care in humanitarian settings

IPAS
Feb 28, 2025

Early in his career, Ipas Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) director Dr. Jean-Claude Mulunda, then a coordinator with a refugee agency, was confronted with the plight of women and girls who had suffered sexual violence fleeing Central African Republic for refuge in DRC.

“In my report to the supervisor, I noted that over 60% of the women and girls were rape victims. Many of them, including little girls who could not be more than 12, were pregnant. They were also dealing with sexually transmitted infections and malnutrition,” he explains.

Continued; https://www.ipas.org/news/drc-safe-abortion-care-in-humanitarian-settings/

Attacks on reproductive health will have devastating consequences worldwide

MSF is committed to ensuring people have access to sexual and reproductive health services, but we cannot do it alone.

January 28, 2025

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) condemns the Trump Administration’s recent reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy, more commonly known as the Global Gag Rule, as well as the US government’s support of the so-called Geneva Consensus Declaration.

The Global Gag Rule prevents organizations abroad from using their own non-US government funds to provide or advocate for safe abortion care as a condition to receive US global health assistance. This includes direct services, as well as information, counseling, and referrals, even in countries where abortion is legal. When the policy was last in place from 2017 to 2021, critical health programs were disrupted and suspended in low- and middle-income countries.

Continued: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/attacks-reproductive-health-will-have-devastating-consequences-worldwide

28.01.2025

Commentary

Avril Benoît

Doctors Without Borders

Geneva Consensus Declaration

Global Gag Rule

Global HER Act

Helms Amendment

Médecins Sans Frontières

Trump 2.0 instills fear in African abortion activists

Nita Bhalla
Jan 27, 2025

NAIROBI - African health activists fear a new crackdown on abortion across Africa after President Donald Trump reinstated an anti-abortion pact that cuts off U.S. funds to foreign charities that provide or promote abortions.

When Trump signed the Mexico City Policy, or "global gag rule", during his first term some African charities were forced to close, denying women safe abortions. It also emboldened local opposition to women's reproductive choice.

Continued: https://www.context.news/socioeconomic-inclusion/trump-20-instills-fear-in-african-abortion-activists

Trump’s assault on human rights, bodily autonomy and democracy

January 25, 2025
Ipas

Late on Friday, January 24th, President Trump doubled down on his administration’s anti-abortion policies, reinstating the harmful Global Gag Rule, rejoining the non-binding Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD), and strengthening the Hyde Amendment.

“These actions add up to a violation of human rights, bodily autonomy and democracy, as well as an unprecedented attack on the reproductive rights of people in the U.S. and across the globe,” says Ipas President and CEO Anu Kumar.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/trumps-assault-on-human-rights-bodily-autonomy-and-democracy/

IPPF – Our Statement on the Reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule

Global Gag Rule (GGR) violates our core principles, and IPPF cannot and will never sign it.

IPPF
25 Jan 2025

On 24 January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Global Gag Rule (GGR).

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) - a federation of members and partners in 153 countries - fights for the right of every individual to decide about their own health, well-being and life. IPPF will never support policies which actively restrict or violate an individual’s right to bodily autonomy, including the right to safe abortion.

The GGR - also known as the Mexico City Policy - violates human rights by forcing women to continue with an unwanted pregnancy or into unsafe abortion, and IPPF will not tolerate it.

Continued: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/our-statement-reinstatement-global-gag-rule

Trump signs anti-abortion policies after speaking to March for Life

Those impacted include overseas health organizations that distribute contraception and help combat HIV.

By Alice Miranda Ollstein and Carmen Paun
01/24/2025

President Donald Trump’s campaign-trail promise to leave abortion regulation to the states lasted just a few days into his presidency.

He issued executive orders on Friday that revive some anti-abortion policies from his first administration — including restrictions on federal funding for family planning and other health programs abroad that discuss abortion as an option or provide referrals for the procedure.

Continued: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/24/trump-issues-executive-orders-reviving-anti-abortion-policies-00200212

Trump administration takes first anti-abortion move on world stage

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a directive Friday to rejoin a global anti-abortion pact.

By Robbie Gramer and Carmen Paun
01/24/2025

The Trump administration plans to rejoin an international anti-abortion pact alongside countries such as Uganda, Saudi Arabia and Belarus, taking its first formal step to roll back Biden-era global health policies and previewing an expected strategy of seeking to curtail abortion access for millions of women and girls worldwide.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in a confidential diplomatic cable issued Friday to notify countries that it plans to re-join the so-called Geneva Consensus Declaration. POLITICO obtained a copy of the document.

Continued: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/24/trump-administration-anti-abortion-00200587

24.01.2025