Faith Nyasuguta
Millions of contraceptives intended to support women across sub-Saharan Africa are gathering dust in warehouses, caught in a storm of U.S. funding cuts and policy reversals. The supplies, worth around $11 million, were meant to provide essential reproductive health tools to some of the most vulnerable women in the world. Now, they risk expiring before ever reaching those in need.
The stranded shipment, which includes condoms, birth control pills, implants, and intrauterine devices (IUDs), is stuck in storage facilities in Belgium and Dubai. Aid workers and health officials say the delay threatens to reverse years of progress in reproductive health across low-income African countries.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has quietly decided not to fund the delivery of these supplies. The agency, which has long been a key donor in global family planning efforts, has also stopped donating the contraceptives under its current foreign aid programs.
This disruption is linked to policy shifts introduced during the Trump administration’s “America First” strategy, which scaled back U.S. involvement in global health initiatives. Although the current U.S. government has taken steps to reverse some of these measures, logistical and funding gaps remain.
A former USAID official, speaking anonymously, warned that this single shipment accounts for nearly 20% of all contraceptives the U.S. typically donates each year. “If nothing is done soon, not only will the supplies be wasted, but we’ll be throwing away hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money,” the official said.
An internal USAID memo from April emphasized the urgency of the situation and the need to act quickly to transfer the stock. Yet no firm plan has been announced, and each passing month brings the supplies closer to expiration.
Karen Hong, head of supply chain at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said her team is already working on alternatives. “We cannot dwell on an issue for too long,” she said. “When urgency and clarity don’t align, we have to move on.”
The contraceptives were intended for women and girls facing extreme circumstances, mothers in refugee camps, teenagers at risk of early pregnancy, and women fleeing conflict zones. In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, access to family planning remains limited, and the loss of these supplies could have devastating consequences.
“These supplies were a lifeline,” said another aid worker familiar with the shipment. “They were meant to help protect young girls from unintended pregnancies and stop the spread of HIV.”
Health experts are warning of a possible spike in unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections if the shipment is not delivered. The delay could also worsen the strain on already overstretched healthcare systems across the continent.
As global leaders meet in upcoming forums to address health equity, the fate of this shipment serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences when politics stand in the way of basic healthcare.
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