Blocked from unlocking $9.7 million for birth control, the Trump administration is now running down the clock

The Trump Administration has seized 9.7 million purchased with millions in warehouses in Belgium instead of bringing them to women overseas, as aid workers show concern for the US government until the goods expire.

CNN has previously reported on unpopular contraceptives – it once slipped into donating to various African nations after Ency was bought by the agency for International Development (USAID) during the Biden administration. They were now being held permanently in warehouses in Belgium as the United States cut off many foreign aid programs.

The Trump administration began removing the now-defaulted monument in January, leaving a huge hole in international aid budgets for family planning, as well as Malaria, HIV, child hunger and other pressing issues.

The US State Department once said in a statement that it had taken the “initial decision” to destroy the plant in Belgium, at a cost of $167,000 by burning.

But that decision was overturned by laws in Flanders, Belgium, which have a ban on medical devices available.

Contraceptives are long-lasting forms of birth control, such as intrauterine devices (iouds), the US Ronmssional Aide told CNN. The complete inventory, shared with CNN by a second source with information on warehouse stock, shows that the contraceptive trains include Copper pills, fertility tablets and ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol tablets and ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol tablets.

Most of the products expire in 2028 or 2029, with the earliest expiration date among the products in April 2027, according to the list, which details nearly 5 million items.

As the donation program became public knowledge, AID workers campaigned for the Trump administration to bring items to women in Tanzania, Mali, Kenya and elsewhere, or sell them to NGE. AID workers have warned that the lack of contraception and cuts to family planning programs will increase maternal mortality, unsafe abortions and the economic toll on unplanned pregnancies.

The US government has not accepted or denied the offer of birth to be bought by the United Nations Population Fund (EFFPA), the International Planned Federation (IPPF) and the organization called reproductive options, according to these.

Now, AID workers say they fear the US government plans to hold items in two Belgian homes until their expiration dates give them execution.

The lack of contraceptive methods already affects women

“Destination countries, including Tanzania (the main recipient), and others such as Malawi, Bangladesh, Dr Congo, the head of the Supply Chain Marcel Valen said in a statement earlier this month.

For example, in Tanzania, these types of long-shelf products cannot be imported if they have less than 60% shelf life, he said.

“Unless an effective solution is found urgently, the US government can exploit this loophole, allow products to remain until they fall below the lower limit of import thresholds and justify their destruction under regulatory compliance,” van Valen added.

The State Department did not respond to CNN’s questions about its plans to administer birth control supplies.

“It is urgent that we get these supplies before they cannot be imported,” said Dr. Bakari Omary, project coordinator at NGO Umati, which is an IPPF member organization in Tanzania. “Contraceptive methods that are held represent 28% of the country’s annual demand, and not having them already has a health impact on reproductive and family health.”

The challenges posed by imported birth control supplies are compounded by widespread cuts to USAID’s family planning programs in Tanzania.

“After the funding cuts, some of the programs were reduced in scale; their health workers were removed from the communities,” Omary said, describing the situation as “difficult.” The doctor said he was afraid his organization would wake up from unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions.

Debate of opinion on birth control

A spokesperson for the US Department of Health has previously referred to contraceptives held in Limbo in Belgium as regulatory agreements that stem from the aborted Biden-Era agreements. “

Whether to define other contraceptives as an adortifacient, or a cause of abortion, is a controversial question in the US because of the debate that is currently taking place in the health sector. However, iouds work primarily by suppressing the release of eggs, or by preventing sperm from reaching the egg.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (Acog) told CNN that “there is no such thing as a bortifacient disceritive.”

“By definition, contraceptives prevent pregnancy – not pregnancy. IUDS and other birth control methods are not abortions,” Acog said.

The Belgian government continues to enforce the import ban and said it was working to find a legal solution to prevent what is happening.

UNFA said in August that it “has always been able and able to purchase and distribute these items.” The UN agency said it could buy birth control after approaching February with chemicals, but the contractor in charge of the USAID Global Case Chain Program, “but Chemonics stopped responding to Ungfpa after several weeks of negotiations.” Meanwhile, a Chemonics spokesperson referred CNN’s questions to USAID.

“Contraceptive methods save lives. Globally, there are more than 250 million women who want to avoid pregnancy but do not have access to family planning,” Fongezwa added in a statement.

“UFFPA and its partners estimate that meeting this unmet need for family planning could reduce maternal mortality by 25 percent.”

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com