The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced on August 4 a $2.5 billion investment through 2030 to accelerate research and development in women’s health, with a focus on addressing long-neglected conditions that disproportionately affect women in low- and middle-income countries.
The initiative will support more than 40 innovations across five priority areas: maternal health and nutrition, obstetric care, gynecological and menstrual health, contraceptive innovation, and sexually transmitted infections.
The foundation said these areas have been chronically underfunded despite affecting hundreds of millions of women worldwide.
Among the solutions receiving support are hormonal intrauterine devices (H-IUDs).
These are not new products, they have been available globally for years and were introduced in several African countries nearly a decade ago.
H-IUDs are both a highly effective, long-acting contraceptive, lasting up to eight years, and a clinically approved treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding, effective for up to five years.
Despite their proven benefits, many women who want H-IUDs still cannot access them due to high costs, limited availability, and low awareness.
The foundation is working with partners to address these barriers and ensure women who choose them have access to trusted, voluntary options.
Dr. Anita Zaidi, president of the foundation’s Gender Equality Division, cited countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, and India as examples where efforts are underway to expand access to existing products.
She explained that the aim is to make them more affordable, increase awareness of their wider health benefits, and strengthen provider training.
“For too long, women have suffered from health conditions that are misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or ignored,” Zaidi said.
“We want this investment to spark a new era of women-centered innovation, one where women’s lives, bodies, and voices are prioritized in health research and development.”
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According to a 2021 analysis led by McKinsey & Company, just 1% of healthcare research and innovation globally is invested in conditions specific to women beyond oncology.
Issues such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, endometriosis, heavy menstrual bleeding, and menopause remain deeply under-researched despite their widespread impact.
Bill Gates, chair of the foundation, emphasized that stronger investment in women’s health yields benefits that extend beyond individuals.
“Investing in women’s health has a lasting impact across generations. It leads to healthier families, stronger economies, and a more just world. Yet women’s health continues to be ignored, underfunded, and sidelined. Too many women still die from preventable causes or live in poor health. That must change. But we can’t do it alone,” he said.
The foundation urged governments, philanthropists, investors, and the private sector to join efforts to close gaps in women’s health research and ensure access to new treatments once developed.
Zaidi noted that while this marks the foundation’s largest-ever investment in women’s health R&D, it remains only a fraction of what is needed.
The funding will also support data generation and advocacy to help ensure new products reach the women and girls who need them most.
Areas of potential breakthrough include research into the vaginal microbiome, first-in-class therapeutics for preeclampsia, and non-hormonal contraceptives.
Experts welcomed the initiative, highlighting the urgency of addressing women’s health needs in resource-limited settings.
“We see the consequences of underinvestment in women’s health innovation every day when women suffer needlessly, and sometimes lose their lives, because of the gaps in how we understand and treat conditions that uniquely affect them,” said Dr. Bosede Afolabi, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Lagos.
Research suggests that every dollar invested in women’s health generates three dollars in economic growth, and closing the gender health gap could boost the global economy by as much as $1 trillion annually by 2040.
The Gates Foundation said the investment builds on its 25-year focus on maternal and child health and women’s empowerment. It forms part of the organization’s broader goals through 2045, which include ending preventable deaths of mothers and babies, tackling infectious diseases, and helping lift millions of people out of poverty.
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Image Credit: Business Insider Africa
