U.S. President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order to cut fundingto the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which distributes aid to organizations providing reproductive health services. The move will have drastic implications for generations to come, particularly in Africa, where population growth is much greater than in the rest of the world.
Undercutting successful family planning programs will result in more unplanned pregnancies and deaths of young mothers in childbirth, as well as increase rates of sexually transmitted diseases. The ensuing population explosion across developing countries will increase demand for food, drive some families into poverty, and potentially destabilize governments.