PhotoIn the past, the policy has applied only to international family-planning funds, which currently total around $600 million. Mr. Trump’s memorandum, however, would apply the policy to “global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies.” Although reproductive health groups are still studying the memorandum, this language would appear to apply to any international health funding, around $9 billion, used to fight malaria, H.I.V., Zika, Ebola and many other global health threats. Mr. Trump’s gag rule goes far beyond the 1973 ban to bar funding to all organizations that provide abortion or abortion referrals, even if they do so with their own funds and even if abortion is not the focus of their work. By cutting off family-planning funds to reproductive health care providers, the gag rule eliminated contraceptive and maternal health services to countless women around the world. President Trump’s decision will limit health organizations’ ability to fight disease and promote reproductive health, and other governments will have to pitch in to help.

Source: New York Times January 27, 2017 01:29 UTC