Nairobi, Kenya, 30th July 2025 – Tiko strongly condemns the imminent destruction of $10 million worth of U.S. funded contraceptives, a decision set to take place in France. These vital supplies procured to support the reproductive health needs of women and girls across Africa are being discarded despite global shortages, rising need, and multiple offers from health actors to redistribute them.
For girls and young women facing the intertwined challenges of the triple threat of HIV, unintended pregnancy, and sexual and gender-based violence, access to contraceptive care options : Pills, IUDS and implants offer sustained protection and care. Denying adolescent girls and young women essential contraceptive options is a direct threat to their health, well-being, and ability to control their own lives and determine their futures.
Serah Malaba, Co-CEO of Tiko said;
“While the plan to incinerate these supplies represents a troubling policy failure, this moment is also an opportunity to do what’s right, to affirm that care, dignity, and health come before politics. Denying girls access to contraception in the face of the triple threat, is nothing short of negligence. These products must be saved and delivered to girls who need them, free of charge and in their communities.
We work closely with CBOs and country health systems that are already doing everything they can to meet demand, but supplies are running low. Redirecting these contraceptives to frontline partners would immediately strengthen their efforts and reach more girls and young women. Such disruptions aren’t just inconvenient; they force girls into impossible choices, increasing their risk from the triple threat. They need choice, access and respectful, tailored care that offers a full range of contraceptive options suited to their lives and circumstances”.
The U.S. government is preparing to incinerate a stockpile of long-acting contraceptives (pills, IUDs, and implants), despite expiry dates extending into 2027–2031 and offers from international organisations to store, ship, and distribute them at no cost to US taxpayers. Instead, $167,000 will reportedly be spent on destruction.
This move comes at a time when 58 million women in Africa lack access to modern contraceptive methods. In countries where Tiko operates; Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Uganda, where there is high prevalence of the triple threat- contraceptive care is urgent.
Life-saving contraceptives must not be lost to fire. They must be redirected, urgently and free of charge routed via Ministries of Health to girls and young women who need them most, through the hands of trusted, community-rooted partners who understand their realities and will never turn them away.
Tiko does not receive direct U.S. government funding, but works closely with community-based organisations and public health facilities that rely on contraceptive supplies previously supported by various funding agencies and partnerships and distributed via Ministries of Health. When those supplies run out, girls are denied a fundamental choice and the ability to protect themselves from the triple threat.
Girls and young women deserve a full spectrum of contraceptive choices to safeguard their health and autonomy. Tiko enables girls and young women to access contraceptive care with no stigma and at no cost, through community-driven approaches across Africa, ensuring they have the freedom to choose and shape their futures.
About Tiko
Tiko strengthens the resilience of girls across Africa by protecting them from the “Triple Threat”: unintended pregnancy, HIV, and sexual and gender-based violence. We connect girls to free health and wellbeing services across health systems through a community-driven and tech-enabled model of care. By removing barriers and acting as their companion, Tiko helps girls to shape their futures, where they can thrive.