Contraceptives for sub-Saharan Africa stuck in warehouses after US aid cuts

Contraceptives that could help prevent millions of unwanted pregnancies in some of the world’s poorest countries are stuck in warehouses because of US aid cuts and could be destroyed, two aid industry sources and one former government official said.

The stock, held in Belgium and Dubai, includes condoms, contraceptive implants, pills and intrauterine devices, together worth about $11m (R195.5m), the sources told Reuters.

It has been stalled since the Trump administration started cutting foreign aid as part of its “America First” policy in February, as the US government no longer wants to donate the contraceptives or pay the costs for delivery, they said.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has instead asked the contractor managing its health supply chain, Chemonics, to try to sell it, two of the sources said.

An internal USAID memo, sent in April, said a quantity of contraceptives was being kept in warehouses and they should be “immediately transferred to another entity to prevent waste or additional costs”.

A senior US state department official told Reuters no decision had been made about the future of the contraceptives. They did not respond to questions about the reasons why the contraceptives were in storage or the impact of the US aid cuts and delays.

A spokesperson for Chemonics said they were unable to comment on USAID's plans, but added that the company is working with clients to deliver life-saving aid globally and would continue to support the US government's global health supply chain priorities.

The stock represents just under 20% of the supply of contraceptives bought annually by the US for donation overseas, a former USAID official told Reuters.

Selling or donating the contraceptives has been challenging, according to the former USAID official, though talks are ongoing. Another option on the table is destroying it, at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars. As time goes on, shelf-lives will also become an issue, one of the sources said.

The sources told Reuters that one of the key delays is a lack of response from the US government about what should be done with the stock.

It had been destined largely for vulnerable women in sub-Saharan Africa, including young girls who face higher health risks from early pregnancy as well as those fleeing conflict or who otherwise could not afford or access the contraceptives, the sources added.

The condoms also help stop the spread of HIV, the former USAID official said.

“We cannot dwell on an issue for too long; when urgency and clarity don’t align, we have to move on,” said Karen Hong, chief of UNFPA’s supply chain. She said the agency is now working on Plan B to help fill critical supply gaps.

Reuters