The USA burns $ 9.7 million on USAID rescues instead of delivering them

The USA burns $ 9.7 million on USAID rescues instead of delivering them

The Trump administration plans to destroy contraceptives worth $ 9.7 million bought by the USA instead of delivering them to women abroad. This is done in the course of the dismantling of aid programs , which were carried out by the US Agency for International Development, USAID.

savings by annihilation

The preliminary decision to destroy the contraceptives procured by the USA was confirmed by a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, the one mentioned that the cost of burning would be $ 167,000.

stocks in Belgium

The contraceptives are stored in a warehouse in Geel, Belgium. The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it was involved in diplomatic conversations with the US message to find alternative solutions for the stocks.

planned annihilation and controversy

The products mainly consist of long-term contraceptives, such as intrauterine pessaries (IUPS) and injectable contraceptives, as a US congress employee CNN announced. It is unclear when exactly the stocks should be destroyed. "You have to burn the products twice because they contain high hormone levels, and you don't want to risk that the by -products get into the environment. This is probably increasing the costs," said the employee. "The Trump administration literally burns tax money."

Details of the stocks

A list of stocks that CNN was made available by another source with knowledge of the inventory shows that the contraceptive copper-iups, stick implants, contraceptive sprays and tablets with levonorgestrel and ethine tradiol contain. Some of the products wear the USA-Logo, but the majority do not. Most products lose their durability between 2028 and 2029, the earliest expiry date according to the list in April 2027.

controversial about abortive contraceptives

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned the contraceptives to be destroyed as "certain abortive contraceptives from expired contracts by USAID from the bidges". There is a controversy as to whether certain contraceptives should be effectively described, which is associated with the debate when life begins.

political reactions and legislation

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) sent an employee to the warehouse in Belgium to introduce laws that prohibit the annihilation of such products unless all possible efforts to sell or donate are exhausted. Their spokesman found that the earliest expiry date for contraceptives was 2027, while some stocks even last until 2031.

efforts for alternative solutions

The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the country tests all possible ways to prevent the destruction of these stocks, including its temporary shift. An organization called MSI Reproductive Choices said that they and other partners had offered to cover the shipping and outer packaging costs for the USAID-Branded stocks, but the offer was rejected by the US government. "We were given no reason why this offer was not accepted, but it became clear that it was not accepted," said Grace Dunne, a spokeswoman for Msi.

effects on health care

The upcoming destruction of the contraceptives has triggered concern because access to contraceptives in conflict regions that were previously dependent on the stocks donated by USAID are already severely restricted. The organization doctors without borders (MSF) expressed their concerns and warned of the dangers of a defect in contraceptives.

FAZIT

The decisions of the US administration in relation to aid programs and dealing with valuable health resources raise questions that could have far-reaching effects on reproductive health services worldwide. The destruction of relief goods, which could be of crucial importance for many people, require a careful review and rethink of the government.