What is it about?
Although family planning services are crucial for global health and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, their funding remains controversial. We document the health consequences of the “Mexico City Policy” (MCP), which restricts US funding for abortion-related activities worldwide. Since its enactment in 1985, the MCP has been enforced only under Republican administrations and quickly rescinded when a Democrat wins the presidency. Our analysis shows that the MCP makes it harder for women to get information on and support for reproductive health and is associated with higher maternal and child mortality rates and HIV rates worldwide. We estimate that reinstating the MCP between 2017 and 2021 resulted in approximately 108,000 maternal and child deaths and 360,000 new HIV infections.
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Why is it important?
Our findings highlight the importance of mitigating the harmful effects of MCP by redesigning or counteracting this policy.
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: US foreign aid restrictions and maternal and children’s health: Evidence from the “Mexico City Policy”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, May 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2123177119.
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