By Stephanie M. Duncan
MONROVIA — The Amplifying Rights Network (ARN) has warned that declining international funding for family planning and sexual and reproductive health services could leave approximately 327,700 women and couples in Liberia without access to contraception, potentially triggering an increase in unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and preventable maternal deaths.
In a report released in November 2026, titled More Than Just the Numbers: How Funding Cuts Threaten Sexual and Reproductive Health in Liberia, ARN estimates that continued reductions in financial support from the United States and Sweden could result in 107,600 additional unintended pregnancies, 37,800 additional unsafe abortions, and 323 additional maternal deaths annually.
The report examines the potential consequences of declining international assistance on Liberia’s reproductive healthcare system, warning that the funding reductions could reverse progress in expanding access to essential health services, particularly for women, adolescent girls, and other vulnerable populations.
According to ARN, Liberia has lost at least US$2.4 million in family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) support since 2025, following reductions in United States assistance and Sweden’s decision to phase out its development cooperation with the country.
The report indicates that following the suspension of United States health assistance in early 2025, American family planning disbursements to Liberia declined by 34 percent, with support for 2026 projected to fall close to zero.
Sweden, identified in the report as Liberia’s second-largest development partner after the United States, announced in December 2025 that it would wind down its development assistance to Liberia.
The decision marked the end of Sweden’s 2021–2025 cooperation strategy with Liberia, which amounted to 1.85 billion Swedish kronor, approximately US$197 million, and supported 39 development projects, including programs addressing sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, and youth empowerment.
ARN warns that the combined effect of these funding reductions could significantly disrupt the delivery of contraceptive services and other reproductive healthcare interventions, leaving hundreds of thousands of women and couples with limited options for preventing unintended pregnancies.
The organization also cautions that the consequences will extend beyond individual health outcomes, placing additional financial pressure on Liberia’s healthcare system through increased demand for emergency obstetric and post-abortion care.
Citing available reproductive health data, the report states that before the funding cuts, approximately 131,500 unintended pregnancies occurred annually among Liberian women aged 15 to 49. Of these pregnancies, about 54,500 ended in abortions, with only approximately 15 percent considered safe.
It further estimates that nearly 18,700 women required post-abortion care annually, costing the healthcare system approximately US$976,000. Total expenditure on abortion-related services, including safe abortion provision and post-abortion treatment, stood at about US$1.02 million annually.
However, if the funding cuts continue, ARN projects that the annual number of abortions could rise to approximately 99,100, including 37,800 additional unsafe abortions and 6,800 additional safe abortions.
The report further estimates that the number of women requiring post-abortion care could increase from 18,700 to approximately 34,000 annually, representing an 82 percent increase.
Such an increase, according to ARN, could raise annual expenditure on abortion-related healthcare services to approximately US$1.85 million, an additional US$833,500 for the country’s health system.
The organization explains that for every 1,000 additional unsafe abortions, approximately 400 women could require post-abortion treatment, costing the healthcare system about US$20,900.
It argues that investing in preventive reproductive healthcare and ensuring access to safe abortion services could significantly reduce the financial burden on the country.
According to the report’s projections, ensuring that all abortions are safe could reduce annual abortion-related healthcare expenditure to approximately US$660,000, representing potential savings of about US$1.19 million compared with the projected costs under the current legal framework following the funding cuts.
Beyond the general population, ARN identifies adolescent girls as particularly vulnerable to the consequences of reduced reproductive health financing.
The report notes that teenage girls in Liberia already face significant challenges in accessing contraception, including financial barriers, social stigma, limited information, and bias from healthcare providers.
In 2024, more than half of adolescent girls who wanted to avoid pregnancy were not using modern contraceptive methods, while adolescent girls accounted for approximately 28 percent of all unintended pregnancies in the country.
ARN warns that the withdrawal of donor support for youth-friendly health service points, community outreach programs, and free contraceptive distribution could deepen these existing barriers.
Based on its projections, continued funding reductions could result in approximately 22,400 additional unintended pregnancies and 9,300 additional unsafe abortions among adolescent girls annually.
The report estimates that this would represent a 62 percent increase in both unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions among girls aged 15 to 19 compared with 2024 levels.
It further cautions that increased teenage pregnancies could undermine girls’ educational attainment, employment opportunities, economic independence, and broader participation in national development.
ARN’s advocacy for comprehensive sexuality education, contraceptive access, and safe abortion services is largely rooted in its concerns about the vulnerability of adolescents, young people, women, and girls to preventable reproductive health challenges.
The organization maintains that teenage pregnancy remains a significant challenge in Liberia, partly because many adolescent girls lack access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information, affordable contraceptives, and youth-friendly healthcare services.
ARN believes that providing comprehensive sexuality education and accessible reproductive health information would enable individuals to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
The organization also argues that limited access to appropriate reproductive healthcare can expose women and girls to unsafe abortion practices, which may result in serious complications, disabilities, and preventable deaths.
According to ARN, when women and girls cannot access appropriate and safe reproductive healthcare, some may resort to dangerous methods of terminating unintended pregnancies, increasing their risk of severe health complications and maternal mortality.
The organization therefore views sexual and reproductive health not merely as a healthcare concern but also as a human rights, gender equality, and national development issue.
It maintains that access to accurate information, quality healthcare, and the ability to make informed decisions about one’s reproductive health are essential to protecting individual rights and improving the well-being of women and girls.
ARN also raises concerns about the country’s domestic policy environment, particularly the continued delay in passing the Public Health Bill.
The proposed legislation, which was passed by the House of Representatives in 2022, seeks to modernize Liberia’s public health laws and includes provisions intended to expand access to safe abortion care up to 18 weeks of pregnancy and promote comprehensive sexuality education.
However, the bill remains stalled in the Senate, while pressure is reportedly mounting to remove provisions relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The report warns that the combination of declining international assistance and uncertainty surrounding domestic policy protections could further restrict access to essential reproductive healthcare services.
It also emphasizes that access to contraception and comprehensive sexuality education provides significant benefits beyond preventing unintended pregnancies.
According to ARN, preventive reproductive healthcare can help reduce unsafe abortions, HIV infections, and other sexually transmitted infections while minimizing the financial burden on the national healthcare system.
The organization argues that reproductive health services are closely linked to education, economic empowerment, gender equality, and personal autonomy, all of which are important to Liberia’s long-term development.
Against this backdrop, ARN is calling on the Liberian Government to take urgent measures to protect the health and lives of women and girls by strengthening domestic support for sexual and reproductive health services.
Among its recommendations, the organization urges the integration of reproductive healthcare across public health facilities, nongovernmental organizations, and donor-supported services to ensure continuity of care despite declining external financing.
It also calls for greater investment in community health workers and the provision of adequate training and resources to enable them to deliver reproductive healthcare in accordance with national guidelines.
Additionally, ARN wants the government to prioritize and protect access to high-quality, age-appropriate health education, particularly for adolescents who face increased barriers to reproductive health information and services.
The organization stresses that without urgent intervention and sustainable financing arrangements, Liberia could experience worsening reproductive health outcomes, increased healthcare expenditure, and setbacks in its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
ARN’s report concludes that the consequences of funding reductions should not be viewed merely as financial losses but as a serious public health and national development concern requiring immediate government attention.
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