Aid Cuts and Iran War Shipping Delays Threaten Contraceptive Access for African Girls

A global funding shortfall of $185 million for contraceptives and shipping delays linked to the Iran war are compounding barriers to reproductive health care for adolescent girls across Africa, where stigma, parental consent rules and clinic closures already limit access.

The United Nations Population Fund estimates that aid cuts will leave the $185 million gap in contraceptive funding worldwide this year. By December, nearly 1,400 reproductive health service facilities had closed globally, including 1,175 in Africa, leaving an estimated 5.9 million women without services, according to the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

For many girls, the obstacle is not only whether contraceptives are stocked but whether they can obtain them without being seen or judged. In Zimbabwe, 18-year-old Kelly Nhedega became pregnant at 16 after avoiding a crowded local clinic where patients or health workers might recognize her and tell her parents. She dropped out of school and now cares for an 18-month-old child. She recently obtained contraception discreetly at a mobile clinic in Epworth, a densely populated settlement outside Harare, and hopes to return to the classroom.

«That’s a mission I have to complete first. More babies will mean less or no time for school,» Nhedega said.

The mobile clinic she used is a converted family travel trailer operated by Population Services Zimbabwe, an affiliate of MSI Reproductive Choices. Since 2021, the caravan alone has provided more than 100,000 adolescents in Epworth and nearby farming communities with contraceptives, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, counseling and reproductive health information, according to Pester Siraha, the organization’s director.

But that service is under pressure. The organization lost a five-year, $9 million grant awarded in 2023 after the Trump administration dismantled many aid programs in 2025. More than $6 million of the money went unspent. Swedish funding filled part of the gap, but that support ended in August after Sweden phased out development assistance to Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique, Liberia and Bolivia to prioritize Ukraine.

«We were quite excited when Sweden came in,» Siraha said. «Then, suddenly, boom, Sweden said they were leaving.» She warned of increased unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions that could lead to death, and said the funding cuts could force the four-decades-old organization to close its outreach activities, «or even the entire country program.»

Zimbabwe’s health minister, Douglas Mombeshora, says the government has spent $6.3 million buying contraceptives since 2022 and has pledged a further $2.25 million a year in 2026 and 2027.

Across Africa, however, availability does not guarantee access. In Zambia, Inonge Wina Chinyama, director at MSI Zambia, said uncertainty over parental consent rules creates an additional obstacle. «How many young people can go and say, ‘Mommy, I want to have sex tonight. Can you allow me to go and get a contraceptive method?’» she said. «It doesn’t happen in Africa.» Even girls who navigate those hurdles may find their preferred method unavailable.

Chinyama said the loss of U.S. support for distribution in Zambia is particularly affecting the «last mile» — getting contraceptives from central warehouses and provincial hubs to rural health centers. Products sitting in a warehouse are of little use to a girl living far away, she said.

Global shipping disruptions have added to the uncertainty. In March, UNFPA said carriers had rerouted shipments to avoid conflict-affected waterways. In Zambia, a contraceptive shipment ordered in November arrived more than three months late.

«At first, we thought Zambia was a low-risk country with the Iran war, because it felt like it was very far out there,» Chinyama said. «But we are only just receiving the products this week.»

Experts say contraception is critical to helping adolescent girls avoid unintended pregnancies and the risks of childbirth, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which has the world’s fastest-growing population and accounts for 70% of global maternal deaths. Around 180,000 pregnancy deaths are recorded across the continent each year.

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Delaney Sawyer

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Delaney Sawyer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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