Inside Philanthropy looks at the likely impact of the recent US election and an impending ‘Global Gag Rule’ on global healthcare. Insights from SAAF, along with our grantee partners, are shared in the article.
The Safe Abortion Action Fund’s November 8 announcement of $18.5 million in global abortion funding wasn’t a reaction to Donald Trump winning the 2024 presidential race. However, SAAF’s giving is a reminder of the threat that a second Trump administration poses not just to reproductive rights, but potentially to the entire $12 billion-plus U.S. international public health budget.
A Safe Abortion Action Fund grantee in Nigeria told SAAF that during the Trump administration, it was unable to provide antiretroviral treatments to HIV patients. The gag rule “just knocks out the health system” of countries that depend on U.S. aid in general, said Laura Hurley, programme adviser and communications lead for SAAF.