US to Require African Countries to Share Abortion Data in Exchange for Health Funding
The Trump administration has proposed a new global health initiative that would require countries in Africa and other parts of the world to share significant amounts of health data with the US, including on abortion.
Under the plan, which is part of the State Department's "America First Global Health Strategy," countries that receive global health assistance would be required to provide the US with access to a wide range of health care and pathogen data for at least 25 years. This could include information on abortion practices, policies, and laws.
Critics say this requirement is an attempt by the Trump administration to exert its influence over foreign governments' reproductive health decisions and to limit access to abortion services globally.
"This is just another example of the Trump Administration's playbook for using its power and influence to further its anti-choice agenda and undermine critical national public health responses," said Melissa Cockroft, global lead on abortion for the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
The plan has been met with concerns from global health experts who say that these agreements appear to be highly unbalanced, giving the US sweeping authority to extract data on a range of issues, including abortion. They warn that this could lead to misuse of the data and undermine critical public health responses.
"This is not just about data collection; it's about surveillance and control," said Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC, a nonprofit organization focused on HIV prevention.
The Trump administration has also been expanding its global gag rule, which prohibits foreign organizations that receive US aid from providing information or services related to abortion care. This rule has already led to the closure of several reproductive health clinics in Africa and other parts of the world.
Many countries are feeling squeezed for funding and may be forced to accept these terms to secure their global health assistance. "People are getting sick," said Elisha Dunn-Georgiou, president and CEO of Global Health Council. "Medicine is hard to find. I've even heard of condom shortages in some countries because the prevention funding for HIV has been stalled."
The proposal has also raised concerns about the Trump administration's motivations. Cockroft said that the model agreement is concerning given the administration's anti-abortion agenda. "We know the Trump administration is seeking at all costs to restrict abortion access globally," she said.
While it is unclear exactly how this data will be used, global health experts warn that these agreements appear to be highly unbalanced and could undermine critical public health responses.
The Trump administration has proposed a new global health initiative that would require countries in Africa and other parts of the world to share significant amounts of health data with the US, including on abortion.
Under the plan, which is part of the State Department's "America First Global Health Strategy," countries that receive global health assistance would be required to provide the US with access to a wide range of health care and pathogen data for at least 25 years. This could include information on abortion practices, policies, and laws.
Critics say this requirement is an attempt by the Trump administration to exert its influence over foreign governments' reproductive health decisions and to limit access to abortion services globally.
"This is just another example of the Trump Administration's playbook for using its power and influence to further its anti-choice agenda and undermine critical national public health responses," said Melissa Cockroft, global lead on abortion for the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
The plan has been met with concerns from global health experts who say that these agreements appear to be highly unbalanced, giving the US sweeping authority to extract data on a range of issues, including abortion. They warn that this could lead to misuse of the data and undermine critical public health responses.
"This is not just about data collection; it's about surveillance and control," said Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC, a nonprofit organization focused on HIV prevention.
The Trump administration has also been expanding its global gag rule, which prohibits foreign organizations that receive US aid from providing information or services related to abortion care. This rule has already led to the closure of several reproductive health clinics in Africa and other parts of the world.
Many countries are feeling squeezed for funding and may be forced to accept these terms to secure their global health assistance. "People are getting sick," said Elisha Dunn-Georgiou, president and CEO of Global Health Council. "Medicine is hard to find. I've even heard of condom shortages in some countries because the prevention funding for HIV has been stalled."
The proposal has also raised concerns about the Trump administration's motivations. Cockroft said that the model agreement is concerning given the administration's anti-abortion agenda. "We know the Trump administration is seeking at all costs to restrict abortion access globally," she said.
While it is unclear exactly how this data will be used, global health experts warn that these agreements appear to be highly unbalanced and could undermine critical public health responses.