A reproductive right NGO country director in Zimbabwe said of the U.S. aid cuts: “In communities where women had to negotiate with partners to access contraception, many have felt betrayed by the sudden cessation of care, undermining the trust that our teams have built over years. Despite our best efforts and until we can mobilize more funding, people in our rural communities who want contraception are being left behind.”
Date: 1/26
Region: Africa
Country: Zimbabwe
Topic: Health, Gender Equality & Inclusion
Policy Lens: Global Health Security
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: This quote is attributed to Pester Siraha, country director of Population Services Zimbabwe, or PSZ, the local affiliate of MSI, an international NGO working on reproductive healthcare across 36 countries.
Devex Researcher Note: According to the organization, PSZ had received a $9 million USAID grant to deliver outreach services for reproductive health in Zimbabwe. Only $2.1 million was spent when funding halted in mid-2025. The project was meant to fund MSI's mobile health teams, support 100 public health facilities and 120 private healthcare operators, deliver contraceptive medicines and sexual health education across the country. According to statements delivered by MSI to allAfrica, mobile health clinic staff had "no way of alerting the women they serve, so many still showed up, expecting to access family planning services."
Source: MSI