President Trump’s Callous Attack on Foreign Aid Will Strip Healthcare from Millions

WASHINGTON, DC, January 27, 2017—President Donald Trump has signed an executive order prohibiting recipients of U.S. foreign aid from providing any abortion-related services or information. Under the rule, even recipients who fund abortion services through other means will be stripped of their funding and experience shutdowns of all health and human services, often in areas where healthcare access is scarce.

“President Donald Trump’s executive action is a callous and malicious attack on the health care of millions of women, men,  and their families living in poverty. With just a stroke of a pen, Donald Trump has single-handedly jeopardized the health, lives, and futures of millions of people dependent on U.S. foreign aid,” said Rea Carey, National LGBTQ Task Force Executive Director. 
 
“The draconian Global Gag Rule forces recipient health programs and providers to choose between continuing to receive U.S. aid and  providing patients with comprehensive and potentially life-saving reproductive health services and information. We have seen the devastating impact of this rule under previous Republican administrations: infant and maternal mortality rates will go up, and millions will experience increased numbers of unwanted pregnancies, abortions, and STIs including HIV/AIDS. Under George W. Bush’s gag rule on family planning providers, the abortion rate actually increased by 40%.”
 
“And while the rule obstructs access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare for people in 53 countries, including LGBTQ  people who also need access to abortion services, it does not stop there. Trump’s rule is a far more destructive than what was experienced under Bush’s presidency as the new rule is not limited to family planning providers and instead affects all recipients of foreign aid. The new policy will have dire consequences and devastating results for organizations working to fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, ebola, and the Zika virus, especially in countries where people already face difficulty accessing health care.”