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Stigma, funding cuts and the Iran war put contraception out of reach for Africa’s girls
The caravan has served more than 100,000 adolescents since 2021 as aid cuts and shipping delays threaten contraceptive access, officials said.
- In Epworth, Zimbabwe, an aging caravan transformed into a mobile clinic offers girls private access to contraception, helping adolescents like Zimbabwean Kelly Nhedega bypass community stigma and parental scrutiny.
- International aid cuts have left a $185 million global contraceptive funding shortfall; support from Sweden ended in August, while the Trump administration dismantled many aid programs in 2025.
- Population Services Zimbabwe operations director Engeline Mawere noted that when clinics returned to Binga in August after a six-month absence, 'girls came running,' highlighting urgent demand.
- Beyond funding constraints, stigma and parental consent rules create barriers; in Zambia, MSI Zambia director Inonge Wina Chinyama noted uncertainty forces girls to ask parental permission for contraception.
- With Africa accounting for 70% of global maternal deaths, experts warn losing mobile clinics could increase unplanned pregnancies, making access critical to helping adolescent girls avoid childbirth risks.
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14 Articles
14 Articles
Iran war delays deliveries of contraceptives to African clinics that already face a $185 million funding shortfall as foreign aid dries up
The war has forced carriers to reroute contraceptive shipments, adding months of delays to a system already weakened by aid cuts
·New York, United States
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Iran war delays contraceptives delivery to African clinics that already face $185 million shortfall
Being a teen mother was far from what Zimbabwean Kelly Nhedega had imagined. The 18-year-old had mapped out a different future: finish school, train as a nurse and then start a family. But when she became sexually active, contraception felt out of reach. The stigma of a young girl queuing for condoms, pills or a […]
Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left9Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution69% Left
Bias Distribution
- 69% of the sources lean Left
69% Left
L 69%
C 23%
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