Zambia, Zimbabwe and DRC take steps to protect decades of progress in reproductive health, as donor fatigue leads to steep cuts in aid
African governments are boosting funding for family planning programmes as cuts in foreign aid threaten decades of reproductive health progress and access to birth control for millions of women and girls.
Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are the latest countries to announce increased budgets for family planning supplies and services.
More than 80% of donor funding for family planning comes from countries that have announced aid cuts, according to a report released last week by the global partnership FP2030.
The US was the biggest donor, accounting for 41% of the total between 2020 and 2024. The fall in aid has led to the closure of maternal and reproductive health services, with devastating consequences in countries that relied heavily on USAID. In September, the Guardian reported the death of a mother and her baby in Yemen after she was turned away by her nearest hospital, which had lost the support of UNFPA, paid for by USAID.
