Trump’s amped-up global gag rule: Silencing health programs around the world

Anne Baber Wallis

Abstract

In February, the United States once again tightened the Mexico City Policy—better known as the Global Gag Rule (GGR)—which we denounced last year in this journal.1,2 The Mexico City Policy was first implemented in 1985, during President Ronald Reagan’s second term. This US government policy blocks US funding to organizations that provide abortion counseling or referrals, advocacy to decriminalize abortion, or expansion of abortion services. It was named for Mexico City, which was the venue of the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development, where it was announced.3

 

The new and awkwardly titled policy, “Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance,”4 will magnify the losses incurred when President Donald J. Trump unilaterally closed the US Agency for International Development (USAID) last year and cut US participation in global health.

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References

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