US religious groups pump millions into African health policies - new data shows why
Fresh analysis shows US-based Christian organizations boosted their Africa spending by half in recent years. These groups work to shape local health-care rules using methods from American campaigns
US-based Christian organizations that dont support reproductive freedoms have super-charged their Africa spending: a fresh study shows seventeen groups upped their funding by half since about 5 years ago
The non-profit Institute for Journalism and Social Change found that these groups (which represent just a small piece of the whole picture) are now working extra-hard to shape health-care rules both at-home and abroad. A prior study from mid-2020 tracked about $54-mil going from similar US groups to Africa over a ten-year period
These days their work spans from helping like-minded politicians block health-related laws to backing local groups that fight court decisions — copying play-by-play from US tactics. While Africa has been slowly opening up its rules Martin Onyango from the Center for Reproductive Rights points out a growing push-back:
We have seen a proliferation of anti-rights legislation on the continent of Africa from Ghana to Uganda to Kenya to Malawi
Many of these organizations link straight to ex-president Trumpʼs team and are now helping shape Project-2025 (a policy roadmap for his possible return). Their Africa work got a big boost during the Reagan years with rules that block US aid money from supporting certain health services
The impact shows clearly in places like Uganda where health guidelines got pulled back in early-2015. In Kenya the rules changed around 2010 but access stays limited — studies show most people dont know their rights. Dr Ernest Nyamato from IPAS notes that when US policies shift it creates waves:
We export a lot of our values and cultures from the United States; so the Roe v Wade decision was completely misinterpreted here
Claire Provost who helped lead the research thinks theyʼve only found the start: “Were treating what we found as the tip of the iceberg“ she notes. The money-trail gets fuzzy with new groups popping up all the time but their footprint shows up clear in local events conferences and training sessions
