- 2600 organizations affected by the Global Gag Rule
- $40 billion in annual U.S. funding at risk
- 2025: Trump reintroduces the rule (in January)
What is the Global Gag Rule and why is this extension unprecedented?
The Global Gag Rule (also known as the “Mexico City Policy”) is a U.S. foreign policy that prohibits organizations receiving U.S. funds from providing or informing about abortion. Introduced in 1984 under Reagan, it has been alternately repealed and reinstated depending on the administration. Reintroduced in January 2025 by the Trump administration, it has this time been significantly expanded.
The extension of February 26, 2026, goes even further: it conditions U.S. funding on the abandonment of any action related to LGBTQ2S+ rights and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Organizations that refuse to comply risk losing all their funding.
What are the concrete impacts on sexual and reproductive health?
For Médecins du Monde, this new regulation highlights how humanitarian aid and development cooperation are being instrumentalized for ideological pressure. The most affected countries are those in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, where U.S. funding represents a decisive share of health budgets.
The expected direct consequences include: the interruption of contraception access programs, the closure of centers offering VTP, the withdrawal of support for LGBTQ2S+ populations in conflict or humanitarian crisis zones, and the censorship of medical information on sexual health.
“This kind of blackmail suffocates health systems, censors medical information, and forces organizations into an impossible choice: interrupt essential care or lose their funding. This is not only a violation of the right to health, but also an attack on freedom of expression and the right to information.”
— Federico Dessi, Executive Director of Médecins du Monde
2,600 organizations and $40 billion in funding at risk
Beyond the organizations directly affected, this policy could also impact international and multilateral institutions — particularly UN agencies — that receive U.S. funds and redistribute them to health structures or human rights advocacy programs.
According to preliminary estimates, approximately 2,600 organizations receiving nearly $40 billion in annual U.S. funding would be affected by this policy.
“There is no time for hesitation. As other governments restrict and condition their aid, Canada must remain clear, consistent, and committed. It must guarantee stable funding for the health of women and girls, including access to abortion.”</
— Manon Hourdin, Director of International Operations
How is Médecins du Monde responding to the Global Gag Rule?
Despite this change, Médecins du Monde remains committed to continuing the fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights – SRHR and the right to self-determination. Access to abortion is an essential health care service and a fundamental human right.
The organization will continue to provide safe abortion care, defend the right to access it freely, and will not limit the scope of its interventions to adapt to politicized funding policies. Health must always take precedence over politics.