All Eyes on Reproductive Health Since early 2025, the U.S. government has paid tens of thousands of dollars a month to store $9.7 million worth of taxpayer-funded contraceptives in Belgium. Now, only $1.7 million worth of these contraceptives are still viable, and are set to expire over the next few years, with no word on what will happen to them. The contraceptives were meant to be distributed to low-income nations in Africa. This headline from CNN tells us what we already know, that cuts to foreign aid are hurting people around the world: One year on from dismantling of USAID, study projects that global aid cuts could lead to 9.4 million deaths by 2030. The study by The Lancet predicts about 2.5 million of those deaths are projected to be children under the age of 5. As we know, much of this impact will hit – and currently is hitting – Africa hard. Here are a few statistics to keep in mind, per Pew Research: Today, 28% of all people under 25 live in Africa, as does 19% of the overall population. By 2100, Africa is expected to have 12 of the world’s 25 most populous countries. Africa is the only world region where fertility remains above the replacement level. To ignore the needs of people around the world for contraception is a violation of human rights. As is letting contraceptives go out of date in a warehouse in Belgium. Above via @TransitionEarth