Today, I am proud to recognize President Biden’s commitment to improving the lives of beneficiaries, particularly women and girls, around the world by revoking the January 23, 2017 Presidential Memorandum (The Mexico City Policy), thereby rescinding the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy. This action means that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will again benefit from an expanded partner base able to implement U.S. global health assistance. This includes increasing access to critical health services, such as HIV/AIDS care for key populations, family planning information and services, and effective tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment. Our efforts help promote safe motherhood, improve the health of mothers and their children, and increase educational and economic opportunities for women and girls.
USAID has long championed the reproductive health and reproductive rights of women and girls, including access to voluntary family planning. Women and girls who are able to make informed decisions about their lives, including to stay in school, delay marriage, and control their reproductive lives, are more likely to be healthier and have healthier families.