Britain Pledges $5.3M To Groups That Have Lost U.S. Funding For Providing Abortion Services In Developing Countries

Britain's Department for International Development on Monday announced that over the next two years it will provide $5.3 million to organizations that have been denied U.S. aid because they offer abortion services to women in developing countries, Reuters reports (Baldwin, Reuters, 2/6). President Bush in September 2003 issued an executive order that prevents the State Department from giving family planning grants to international groups that provide abortion-related counseling, effectively extending the so-called "Mexico City" policy. The policy -- which was implemented by President Reagan at a population conference in Mexico City in 1984, removed by President Clinton and reinstated by President Bush during the first days of his presidency -- previously applied only to USAID (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/6/05). Britain's $5.3 million donation will fund the Global Safe Abortion Program, which was established by the International Planned Parenthood Federation, to increase access to safe abortion services and "support other partners that have had to cut back on reproductive health services because of the impact" of the Mexico City policy, International Development Minister Gareth Thomas said (BBC News, 2/6). According to the World Health Organization, about 19 million women have unsafe abortions annually (Reuters, 2/6).

Reaction
"The absence of sexual and reproductive health services results in an increase in unintended pregnancies and, inevitably, a greater number of unsafe abortions," Thomas said. He also called on the U.S. to withdraw the Mexico City policy, but he added, "It is not likely to be lifted in the short term and the Global Safe Abortion Program and our funding to it is a response to that situation" (BBC News, 2/6). Steven Sinding, director-general of IPPF, said, "I think the [United Kingdom] is being very brave and very progressive in making this commitment," adding, "We're committed to the expansion of safe abortion because in any society, no matter how efficiently contraception is made available, there will be unplanned and unwanted pregnancies." Britain and IPPF are hopeful that other nations, such as the Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands and Canada, also will contribute to the program (Boseley, Sydney Morning Herald, 2/7).


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