Bangladesh sees no impact of Trump's bringing back Mexico City policy

Officials say there will no impact in Bangladesh of US president Donald Trump resumption of the so-called Mexico City Policy.

Trump signed an executive action on Monday reinstating the Policy -- a  gag rule that restricts international non-governmental organisations that perform or promote abortions from receiving US government funding.

Menstrual regulation (MR) -- establishing nonpregnancy after a missed period – and abortion has been part of Bangladesh's national family planning programme since 1979.

“There will be no impact in Bangladesh. Here we promote abortion related activities with our own funds. Among the donors, aid from the UK aid mostly support such activities here,” Dr Mohammed Sharif, a director of the Directorate General of Family Planning services, told bdnews24.com at a seminar.

“We are increasing our activities further to ensure safe abortion or menstrual regulation,” he said.

An assistant director Sanaullah Nury clarified: “92 percent of the total development programmes is funded by the government. The rest comes from the development partners. So our programmes cannot be derailed."

The policy was created under US President Ronald Reagan in 1984. But Democratic administrations have traditionally rescinded the rule while Republican administrations have reinstated it.

Former President Bill Clinton revoked it when he took office in 1993 but George W Bush reinstated it in 2001. President Barack Obama again lifted it 2009 when he took office.

NGOs argue that the anti-abortion restrictions have resulted in huge drops for funding worldwide to organisations that provide family-planning services and basic healthcare, leading to back alley abortions and even deaths.

They say this means many women are deprived of contraception and other health services in poor countries.

Marie Stopes International said this rule would prevent them reaching 1.5 million women with contraception every year.

In a statement it warns that women in developing countries will pay the price for the Mexico City Policy with thousands more maternal deaths every year.

Bringing back the policy means “NGOs forfeit all US aid if they so much as tell a woman abortion is a legal option in her country, refer her to another provider or advocate for abortion rights with their own alternative resources.”

International NGO Ipas that also works on abortion said more than 22 million women every year—almost all in developing countries—will have an unsafe abortion because they lack access to safe, high-quality abortion care.

There are 225 million women in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy but lack access to modern contraception.

Death from pregnancy-related causes is the second-leading killer of teen girls, Women in the global south are most at risk of injury or death from unsafe abortion.

“Despite these harrowing figures, President Donald Trump has chosen to reinstate the Global Gag Rule, a harmful U.S. policy that forces providers to choose between receiving U.S. foreign assistance funds and providing comprehensive—often lifesaving—care,” Ipas said in a statement.

“Governments around the world have made progress toward ensuring every woman can exercise her right to abortion; progress that will be slowed by the rule,” it said.

The ipas organised the Tuesday’s seminar disseminating the results of its five-year activity in Bangladesh where abortion is legal, though there are social taboos attached to it.

Estimated 700,000 MR take place in Bangladesh every year, but only around 150,000 cases are reported.

Ipas said in the last five years they could make policy change through which safe MR or abortion service had been expanded in 120 government facilities up to the sub-district level.