Looming Sequester Likely to Impact Funding for International Family Planning

Unless Congress acts to head them off, automatic budget cuts will go into effect on March 1 as a result of sequestration. The much-debated sequester would cut $85.3 billion from this year's budget and $1.2 trillion from the budget over the next 10 years. These cuts would have a major impact on all discretionary spending.  According to Secretary of State Kerry the proposed cuts would eliminate $400 million from USAID's global health funding. Included in this cut would be an estimated $30 million reduction in international family planning assistance.

Cutting $30 million from international family planning funding would mean that:

• 1,560,000 fewer women and couples would receive contraceptive services and supplies;
• 450,000 more unintended pregnancies, including 210,000 more unplanned births, would occur;
• 210,000 more abortions would take place (of which 150,000 would be unsafe); and
• 1,200 more maternal deaths would result.

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/02/15/kerry_warns_of_serious_sequestration_cuts_for_state_and_usaid