The Trump administration’s plans to incinerate $9.7 million in birth control pills and other contraceptives stored in a Belgian warehouse have left European govts struggling as they try to prevent the destruction. When the Trump administration abruptly de-funded and dismantled the USAID earlier this year, millions of contraceptives it had purchased were stuck in Geel, Belgium. The pills, intrauterine devices and hormonal implants were destined for clinics in the poorest countries in Africa.With the contraceptives in limbo, the contractor managing the supply explored selling it to outside organizations, including the UN’s main sexual and reproductive health agency, the UN Population Fund. The non-profit MSI Reproductive Choices offered to take over the warehousing and redistribute the contraceptives at no cost to the US.But last month it emerged that the US govt had instead decided to burn the supplies, at a cost to govt of more than $160,000 in transport and incineration fees. “USAID was allegedly dismantled to prevent future wastage and to deliver value for money for the American people,” said Sarah Shaw, the associate director of advocacy at MSI Reproductive Choices. “It’s just egregious that they’re willing to waste $9 million worth of contraceptives that are so desperately needed.“The decision to destroy the contraceptives has created alarm in Brussels and France as politicians scramble to figure out if the supplies have physically left the warehouse and how they can prevent their destruction. The state department confirmed that “a preliminary decision was made to destroy certain” birth control products. It declined to explain the decision or to specify the current location or status of the products. The department referred to policies preventing the US govt from providing aid to overseas nongovernmental organizations that provide or help with access to abortions, based on a rule that the Trump administration reinstated. Siobhan Perkins, who was an adviser for USAID, said the products slated for destruction were enough to prevent 3,62,000 unintended pregnancies, 11,10,000 unsafe abortions and 718 maternal deaths.
