The United States government has destroyed contraceptives worth over $9.7 million (Ksh1.25 billion), a decision that is expected to have far-reaching consequences across at least five African countries, including Kenya.
According to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), 77 percent of the contraceptives were earmarked for distribution in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Zambia, and Mali. The commodities were fully manufactured, packaged, and ready for delivery before the decision was made.
IPPF revealed to the Guardian that it had offered to take up the contraceptives and redistribute them at no cost to the U.S. taxpayer, but the offer was declined. Many of the items had expiration dates stretching between 2027 and 2029.
The US State Department confirmed the incineration decision last month, stating that it could not find any “eligible buyers” for the contraceptives, partly due to laws restricting aid to organisations involved in abortion-related services or advocacy overseas.
The contraceptives are believed to have been incinerated in France, prompting an uproar from feminist and rights groups.
Impact
Health experts have warned that the move could lead to more than 174,000 unintended pregnancies and 56,000 unsafe abortions.
Over 108,000 women in Kenya are expected to miss out on access to contraceptive implants, a blow to the country’s efforts to manage reproductive health and maternal outcomes.
“There is already a 46 percent funding gap in Kenya’s family planning budget,” said Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director of the Reproductive Health Network Kenya. “With stockpiles of long-term contraceptives running out, we are staring at a reproductive health crisis.”
Munyasia warned that the consequences would be devastating for young girls, with nearly 1 in 5 girls aged 15 to 19 already pregnant or having given birth. “Unsafe abortions remain among the top five causes of maternal deaths in Kenya,” she said.
Although Kenya’s 2010 Constitution allows abortion when the life or health of the mother is at risk, the outdated Penal Code of 1963 still criminalises the procedure.
This legal contradiction has made many healthcare providers hesitant to offer safe abortion services, even in life-threatening emergencies.
The IPPF added that Tanzania would miss out on over 1 million injectable contraceptives and 365,100 implants, equivalent to 28 percent of its annual need. In Zambia, the losses stand at 295,000 injectables and 48,400 implants, while in Mali will go without 1.2 million oral contraceptives and nearly 96,000 implants.
Marie Evelyne Petrus-Barry, IPPF’s Africa regional director, described the US decision as “extremely wasteful” and “unjustifiable.” She noted that some of the affected countries, such as the DRC, were in a humanitarian crisis and had limited access to healthcare even before the aid withdrawal.
Healthcare experts in Kenya say that unless urgent international and domestic interventions are made, the country may witness a surge in maternal deaths, teenage pregnancies, and unsafe abortions in the coming months.
