...As clinics in Nigeria, Kenya, and other low-income countries ration reproductive health care, a U.S. decision to incinerate over $10 million worth of contraceptives draws global outrage.
By Bunmi Yekini
In a world where over 218 million women still lack access to modern contraception, the United States government is preparing to burn more than $10 million worth of unused contraceptives, resources that could save lives, prevent unintended pregnancies, and support overburdened clinics across Africa and beyond.
At the heart of this controversy is a policy decision by the U.S. Department of State, which has reportedly declined offers from the United Nations and nonprofit partners to cover the cost of repackaging and distributing the products. Instead, the supplies, already purchased, packed, and ready to ship, are scheduled for destruction.
This move comes at a particularly harrowing time for reproductive health clinics in countries such as Nigeria, Guinea, and Kenya, where abrupt USAID funding cuts have forced health providers to ration care or turn women away entirely. “Contraceptive services are vanishing,” one aid worker in Abuja said. “It’s devastating to have to tell women who walk miles for help that we have nothing to give them.”
EngenderHealth, a global leader in sexual and reproductive health and rights, is one of many organizations speaking out. “These are the catastrophic effects of political decisions that prioritize ideology over human lives,” the group said in a public statement.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, low- and middle-income countries face a critical gap in contraceptive access. Redirecting these soon-to-be-incinerated supplies could offer immediate relief in strained regions and help improve maternal health outcomes. The institute’s data shows that increasing contraceptive access is one of the most cost-effective public health strategies, reducing maternal mortality and empowering women to plan their futures.
“The fact that the U.S. is willing to waste these lifesaving commodities, even after global partners offered to help distribute them safely, is more than just bureaucratic waste, it’s a moral failure,” said Dr. Halima Yusuf, a public health advocate based in Lagos. “Every pill, every injection, every implant matters to the women we serve.”
EngenderHealth is calling on the U.S. government to:
- Halt the incineration of unused contraceptives.
- Redirect the supplies to clinics and communities facing severe shortages.
- Collaborate with the UN, NGOs, and affected countries for safe, timely distribution.
“This is a moment of reckoning,” the organization said. “There is still a chance for the U.S. government to do what is right, to turn away from waste and destruction and toward dignity, justice, and care. Lives are on the line.”
A global petition urging immediate action has begun circulating. Supporters are being asked to sign, share, and demand accountability.