This destructive policy demands that we work harder, smarter, and together to understand the implications and mitigate its impacts, writes Carole Sekimpi

BMJ 2026; 392 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s335
19 February 2026
Carole Sekimpi, Africa director

In January 2025, US President Trump reinstated the “global gag rule,”1 ending US government foreign assistance for international organisations that provide or promote abortion. I wrote at the time about the harm it would inflict on women and girls.2 A year on, the Trump administration has announced an expansion of the policy that will cut funding to organisations it deems to be promoting “gender ideology” or diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

As a global healthcare community, we are being manipulated by these politicians holding purse strings. Our immediate approach must be to understand the policy changes and navigate them collectively. To that end, we can share information on what the new restrictions are and what they might mean in practice.

Continued: https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s335.short?rss=1