Huffington Post: Trump’s Global Health Agenda Exposes Lies And Deception
Serra Sippel, president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE)

“…[O]ne week before the release of Trump’s proposed FY18 budget, the State Department included family planning and reproductive health as an international health program supported by U.S. global health assistance. … At that briefing, State Department officials listed the programs that would be impacted by Trump’s [expanded Mexico City policy, or] global gag rule. That the State Department would list family planning and reproductive health among health programs impacted by the policy when they knew such funding would be eliminated in Trump’s FY18 global health budget is deceptive. … The twofold action of restricting all global health assistance [through the Mexico City policy] and eliminating family planning and reproductive health funding reinforces what many global health advocates and experts know: Trump’s agenda has nothing to do with global health and everything to do with cutting off access to family planning and reproductive health services. … This is not a time for advocates to scramble for crumbs from the table. It is the time to push Congress for a humane budget that shows the world that the U.S. cares about women and girls. They can start by fully funding a global health agenda that includes family planning and reproductive health and HIV prevention and treatment” (5/31).