Funding Cuts Leave Liberian Women and Girls Without Contraception

• Declining international donor support is severely restricting access to contraceptives for women and girls in Liberia, exacerbating public health risks.
• The shortage of family planning supplies is driving concerns over rising rates of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions in rural communities.

Funding and Supply Chain Crisis

• The end of USAID operations and the closure of the Swedish embassy in Liberia have created significant gaps in sexual and reproductive health funding.
• Supply chain bottlenecks within the Ministry of Health and a decline in NGO-distributed donations have left local clinics and organizations, such as the Rural Women and Girls’ Rights Foundation (RWGRF), facing persistent stockouts.
• A recently signed $176 million US-Liberia health compact has drawn criticism from NGOs for failing to prioritize contraceptive services and maternal health, despite a national pledge to increase domestic health spending.

Impact of Unsafe Abortion

• Approximately 35% of all pregnancies in Liberia end in abortion; a 2023 Ministry of Health survey revealed over 38,000 unsafe abortions occurred in 2021, with over 60% of women suffering moderate to severe complications.
• Advocates warn that the lack of access to clinical contraceptives forces women to rely on dangerous, non-clinical methods, increasing maternal mortality rates.

Legislative and Advocacy Challenges

• The revised public health bill remains stalled in the Liberian Senate due to ongoing disagreements regarding abortion provisions.
• Civil society efforts to push for reproductive rights are further hindered as Swedish-funded support for the Amplifying Rights Network is nearing its end, further weakening the advocacy system.