US Funding Cuts Lead to Closure of Family Planning Clinics Worldwide
A recent survey by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) reveals that 1,394 service delivery points, including clinics, have been shut, with 1,175 closures in Africa alone. Additionally, 34 clinics laid off staff, resulting in at least 969 job losses. The regions most affected are Africa and the Middle East, where about 9 million people worldwide have been impacted by these closures.
These shutdowns are linked to US funding cuts, which are described as part of a shift toward conservative ideologies that block human rights. A total of 106 IPPF-funded projects have been affected; 64 projects were canceled and 42 reduced. Most of these projects had received funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) or the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Stock levels of contraceptives such as implants, coils, and condoms have declined, and supplies for emergency rape-survivor kits as well as broader STI and gynecology treatments have been affected. Approximately $9.7 million worth of US-funded contraceptives remain stuck in a warehouse in Belgium instead of being distributed. Furthermore, a $13 million funding gap for contraceptives was identified in Uganda, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Bangladesh.
In Bangladesh, the PSTC lost $500,000, which represents 30% of its 2025 budget. As a result, advocacy meetings with police have stopped and harm-reduction tools are increasingly deemed illegal by new officials. Ethiopia's Family Guidance Association lost $2.5 million, half of its income, leading to 162 staff layoffs and the end of free services. In Afghanistan, a clinic in Kamarak has closed, leaving about 9,000 inhabitants without local health services.
