A recent report by the Guttmacher Institute warns that Liberia may face severe consequences if reductions in United States and Swedish funding for family planning and sexual and reproductive health services continue. The country could experience an additional 323 maternal deaths annually, alongside more than 107,600 unintended pregnancies and 37,800 unsafe abortions. This situation may leave hundreds of thousands of women and couples at risk of losing access to contraception and other essential reproductive health services.
The report, titled “More Than Just the Numbers: How Funding Cuts Threaten Sexual and Reproductive Health in Liberia,” reveals that Liberia has lost at least US$2.4 million in family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights support since 2025. The loss of external assistance follows the abrupt reduction of United States health support in early 2025 and Sweden’s subsequent decision to wind down its development assistance to Liberia. As a result, approximately 327,700 women and couples in Liberia could lose access to contraception annually.
The report identifies adolescent girls as among the populations most vulnerable to the funding reductions. Existing barriers to contraception could worsen as youth-friendly services, community outreach, and free contraceptive distribution lose financial support. Before the funding cuts, more than half of adolescent girls in Liberia who wanted to avoid pregnancy were not using modern contraception. Adolescent girls also accounted for 28 percent of unintended pregnancies nationwide during the same year.
If the US and Swedish funding reductions continue, the report estimates that Liberia could record approximately 22,400 additional unintended pregnancies among adolescent girls annually, representing a 62 percent increase over the 2024 baseline. The institute further projects 9,300 additional unsafe abortions among adolescent girls each year. These outcomes could undermine girls’ education, employment prospects, and their ability to contribute to the country’s long-term development.
The report warns that reduced access to contraception could significantly increase the financial burden on Liberia’s healthcare system. Before the funding reductions, an estimated 131,500 unintended pregnancies occurred annually among women aged 15–49 in Liberia, with approximately 54,500 ending in abortions. Of those abortions, only about 15 percent were considered safe. The report estimates that approximately 18,700 women required postabortion care annually, costing the health system nearly US$976,000.
The overall cost of abortion-related care, including safe abortion services and treatment of complications, was approximately US$1.02 million. However, if the funding cuts continue, the number of women requiring postabortion care could rise to approximately 34,000 annually, an 82 percent increase. The annual cost of abortion-related care could consequently reach US$1.85 million, representing an additional US$833,500 in healthcare expenditure.
Guttmacher is urging the Liberian government to take immediate steps to protect access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, particularly for women, adolescent girls, and vulnerable communities. Among its recommendations is the integration of sexual and reproductive health services across public health facilities, nongovernmental organizations, and donor-supported programs. The report also calls for greater investment in community health workers and ensuring that they are adequately equipped to provide essential services.
Key points
- Liberia may experience 323 additional maternal deaths annually due to US and Swedish funding cuts for family planning and reproductive health services.
- The funding cuts may leave approximately 327,700 women and couples in Liberia at risk of losing access to contraception annually.
- The report estimates that continued funding reductions could result in 37,800 additional unsafe abortions and 6,800 additional safe abortions annually.
