White House rule shifts: How US policy affects global healthcare choices
US foreign-aid policy on reproductive health keeps changing with each new administration. The rule affects healthcare access in countries that depend on American-funded medical programs
The back-and-forth nature of US healthcare policy impacts millions worldwide - but not inside America itself. A contested White House directive (known informally as the global-gag rule) controls how foreign medical programs use US-provided funds
Since the early-80s‚ this health-care policy has been like a political ping-pong ball: Republican presidents put it in place while Democratic leaders remove it. The rule blocks non-US organizations that get American money from giving abortion-related info or services
During his time in office Donald Trump made the rule even stricter; expanding its reach to more health programs. Now as Nov-2024 election comes closer Trump might bring back this policy - which would affect many countries that depend on US aid. Its worth noting that about 2 years ago Supreme Court changed US abortion rights at home‚ but this international rule stays separate from domestic laws
