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16 October 2025 - The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has been tracking the developing situation in Brussels, where the Trump administration is holding over $9.7 million of U.S.-funded contraceptives set to be destroyed. In August, IPPF shared that 77 percent of these resources were destined for five countries in the African region, with 1,031,400 injectable contraceptives and 365,100 implants earmarked for Tanzania alone. These countries have specific rules for pharmaceutical imports, and as the U.S. government holds these resources, the risk of them becoming ineligible for import becomes imminent and critical. In addition to the cruel and ideological reasons for withholding these contraceptives, the U.S. government is exploiting import regulations to:Skirt around pressure from the Belgian government that would make incinerating these products in Belgium (Flanders) illegal while they are still eligible for import.Enact their initial plan to ensure these life-saving resources do not reach the communities who need them most by withholding them until they become ineligible for importation, and eligible for legal incineration.Use the import thresholds as a loophole to legally incinerate resources before their expiration dates in 2027 to 2029.“Destination countries, including Tanzania (the main recipient), as well as others such as Malawi, Bangladesh, DR Congo, Kenya, apply importation rules that limit entry to medicines with a specific percentage of remaining shelf life. In Tanzania, for example, products with an original shelf life of more than 24 months cannot be imported if less than 60% of the total shelf life remains,” says Marcel Van Valen, Head of Supply Chain at IPPF. “Unless a practical solution is found urgently, the U.S. government may exploit this gap, allowing the products to sit until they technically fall below import thresholds and then justifying their destruction under the pretext of regulatory compliance.”IPPF made continuous efforts to take ownership of these contraceptives and distribute them at no cost to the U.S. government, only to have offers denied. “There is no doubt we could have gone and collected the products in Belgium, processed them in the Netherlands and re-distributed them to where they were needed and/or destined for,” added Van Valen. “Since the start of the negotiations until this day, IPPF is in the position to release a budget (estimated to be max $1.5 million) to support the redistribution.”Instead, the Trump administration has chosen to pursue destroying these resources, a decision that will create catastrophe for women and girls in Africa. By Tanzania’s standards, some products are below threshold already and many others come close to it; the country would have to grant an exemption waiver to allow their importation at this stage.“Even if we were given the opportunity to push for a waiver to receive the contraceptives, because the Tanzanian government is restrictive around reproductive rights, we don’t know that such an exemption would be granted,” says Dr. Bakari Omary, Project Coordinator at Umati, IPPF's Member Association in Tanzania. “It’s urgent that we receive these resources before they become ineligible for import. The contraceptives being held represent 28% of the country’s total annual need, and not having them is already impacting clients’ reproductive health and family planning freedoms.”“African women have long led the fight for reproductive rights and freedoms. The deliberate destruction of contraceptives for the sake of a political agenda is an attempt to strip them of the very freedoms for which they’ve been global advocates,” says Mallah Tabot, SRHR Lead at IPPF Africa. “The Trump administration’s use of import rules to push the blame onto African countries is a waste of millions of dollars, a crisis for human rights, and a betrayal of women’s freedom globally.”Such a critical moment demands collective action. We call on the U.S. government to immediately distribute these resources to their destination countries, and on the European Union and European countries to champion SRHRJ by advocating for the release of the contraceptives. Just as the Belgian government has done in enforcing an incineration ban on these goods, leaders of the European Union have an opportunity to demonstrate their values in action. We call on the E.U. to rally Member States, negotiate with the U.S., and explore all legal and diplomatic avenues to release these contraceptives from their hold and ensure they reach their destination countries.For more information or to interview one of our staff, please contact media@ippf.org or +66628683089.

In a matter of hours, the Trump Administration will be enacting a cruel and ideologically driven decision to destroy $10 million worth of life-saving contraceptives - resources that were procured by U.S. taxpayer funds to support critical health needs in partner countries across the Global South, including those of 218 million women facing an unmet need for contraceptive care.This is an intentional act of reproductive coercion.Despite multiple offers from international humanitarian organizations, governments and global health actors to purchase or redistribute these supplies, the U.S. government has refused all alternatives. Instead, they are choosing waste and extremist ideology over care, human rights, safety and health. Reports indicate that the cost of destroying these supplies may reach $167.000 paid by American citizens. This decision is not about money: IPPF has offered to collect the products in Brussels, to transport and repack the products in its warehouse in The Netherlands and to distribute the products onwards to women in need across the globe. All at no cost to the US government. This decision is about imposing an anti-rights agenda on the entire world that denies women the choice of when and how many children to have, and denies people the opportunity to protect themselves against HIV and other STIs. “It’s the height of hypocrisy for a government to preach efficiency and cutting waste, only to turn around and recklessly destroy life-saving supplies when the need has never been greater. This isn’t just inefficient — it’s unconscionable.” said Micah Grzywnowicz, Regional Director of IPPF European Network. “This action seriously undermines global public health efforts and limits access to essential care, particularly for communities already facing significant barriers. It reflects a troubling disregard for the rights and well-being of those most in need, as well as complete lack of basic empathy.”The Trump Administration has been relentless in its obsession with controlling women’s bodies - not only in the United States, but globally. This is the latest attack in a long-term campaign to dismantle access to sexual and reproductive health care around the world. According to a survey run by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), these attacks could result in 8.5 million people worldwide being denied lifesaving SRH care.  Now, pallets of contraceptives sit unused in warehouses—including one in Geel, Belgium—awaiting destruction. These are allegedly already scheduled for incineration in France in the coming days.Nico Bogaerts, Director of Sensoa, the Flemish expertise centre on sexual health: "Destroying the USAID supplies stocked in Geel, Belgium is incredibly wasteful. That the US government would prefer to pay to destroy supplies they have already paid for, instead of releasing them to other organizations is cruel. These supplies could save people's lives. We strongly encourage the Belgian and French governments to find a way to save them from incineration and to ensure that they reach people who need them."Sarah Durocher, President of Le Planning familial, IPPF French Member Association: “France has the moral responsibility to act. A government that proudly enshrines abortion rights in its Constitution must also work to protect contraception and the rights of young girls beyond its borders. With its voice respected on the international stage, the French government cannot stay silent while contraceptive supplies are being destroyed and thousands of people are put in danger.”We call on the French company that would be responsible for destroying these contraceptives to reconsider its role. They have an immense moral and societal responsibility. The company has the power to reject this agreement. Sexual and reproductive rights are not a commodity like any other to be discarded.At the same time, we urge the U.S. Administration to immediately halt this senseless destruction. These cruel actions will have far-reaching consequences — and they will cost lives.This moment demands leadership rooted in dignity and humanity. It is only right that everyone can choose whether and when to have children, to be who we are and love who we love, and for our children to be taught about having safe, healthy, and happy relationships. We have the collective moral obligation to work with people around the world to build communities in which everyone can flourish and thrive.   Signatories:Fédération Laïque de Centres de Planning Familial (FLCPF), BelgiumInternational Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)Le Planning familial, FrancePlanned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA)Sensoa, BelgiumCountdown 2030 EuropeMSI Reproductive Choices Media contacts:IPPF Media, media@ippf.org  Heleen Heysse, International Policy Officer, Sensoaheleen.heysse@sensoa.be Boris Cruyssaert, Communications, Sensoa boris.cruyssaert@sensoa.be  Sarah Durocher, President, Le Planning familialsarah.durocher@planning-familial.org