U.S. to Incinerate $10M in Contraceptives, Refuses Global Pleas to Redirect Supplies

By: TPA News Desk | World News | www.thepointafricanews.com

The U.S. government is moving forward with plans to incinerate nearly $10 million worth of unused contraceptives, after rejecting proposals from international organizations to redirect the supplies to underserved countries.

The contraceptives—including intrauterine devices (IUDs), birth control pills, and implants—have been stranded in a warehouse in Geel, Belgium since February 2025. The stockpile was originally purchased by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for distribution in low-income countries, but it became blocked following the reactivation of the Mexico City Policy, a U.S. government rule that bars funding to organizations involved in abortion-related services.

Despite offers from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and family planning nonprofits like MSI Reproductive Choices to purchase or redistribute the supplies, the U.S. declined. According to two sources speaking to Reuters, the refusal is ideological—linked to the expanded restrictions under the Trump administration’s aid policies.

Belgian officials reportedly attempted to broker solutions to prevent waste, but failed to receive U.S. authorization to transfer the stockpile. Instead, the U.S. is expected to pay around $160,000 to incinerate the contraceptives in France over the coming weeks.

Global health advocates and lawmakers have condemned the decision. “This is not just wasteful—it’s dangerous,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a vocal critic of the aid freeze. “These supplies could have prevented thousands of unintended pregnancies.”

Reproductive health services across Africa and parts of Asia have been severely impacted by recent U.S. aid cutbacks. In Liberia, health centers have reported contraceptive shortages and rising rates of unplanned pregnancies since USAID support was suspended earlier this year.

MSI’s Global Director Sarah Shaw called the destruction “a shocking disregard for women’s health.” She noted that multiple organizations had offered to cover costs or reroute the materials.

The Biden administration previously rolled back the Mexico City Policy, but its reimplementation in January 2025 by the returning Trump administration has since frozen billions in foreign health aid and halted major supply chains of reproductive commodities.