The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is to try to force African governments to cease providing contraceptive items to maternal health organisations partnered with the charity Marie Stopes International. This move has caused widespread outrage. Critics of the agency's decision are concerned that it will increase numbers of unintended pregnancies and force women into unsafe abortions.

The instruction was issued because Marie Stopes works with the Chinese government, widely thought to have a coercive policy towards termination of pregnancy and family planning.

Dana Hovig, chief executive of Marie Stopes International, protested strongly against the decision. He said that his organisation does not support coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation in China or elsewhere.

Marie Stopes International estimates that worldwide its family planning services prevented five to seven million unwanted pregnancies in 2007 alone, thus preventing one to 1.5 million abortions. It believes that, owing to widespread restrictions or outright bans on the procedures in many developing countries, most of these abortions would have been unsafe, putting women's lives at risk.

[11 Oct 2008 14:27]

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