The Gates Foundation has announced a $2.5bn investment through 2030 to boost research and development (R&D) in women’s health.
The initiative aims to advance over 40 innovations in underfunded areas, particularly benefiting women in low- and middle-income countries.
The focus is on maternal, menstrual, gynaecological, and sexual health, addressing critical gaps in women’s healthcare.
Women’s health R&D is significantly underfunded, with areas like gynaecological health, obstetric care, contraceptive innovation, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) receiving minimal investment.
The Gates Foundation is calling on governments, philanthropists, investors, and the private sector to co-invest in women’s health innovations.
The collaboration aims to shape product development and ensure access to treatments for women and girls who need them most.
The Gates Foundation chair Bill Gates said: “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.”
The investment will target five key areas, obstetric care and maternal immunisation, maternal health and nutrition, gynaecological and menstrual health, contraceptive innovation, and STIs.
Breakthroughs are anticipated in areas such as the vaginal microbiome, preeclampsia therapeutics, and non-hormonal contraception.
The priority areas were selected based on data and direct insights from women in low- and middle-income countries.
They reflect the unique challenges in low-resource settings, offering opportunities for broader public and private investment to drive scalable impact.
The initiative aligns with the foundation’s long-term goals through 2045.
The long-term goals include ending preventable maternal and child deaths, eradicating deadly infectious diseases, and lifting millions out of poverty.
The Gates Foundation gender equality division president Anita Zaidi said: “For too long, women have suffered from health conditions that are misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or ignored.
“We want this investment to spark a new era of women-centred innovation—one where women’s lives, bodies, and voices are prioritised in health R&D.
“This is the largest investment we’ve ever made in women’s health research and development, but it still falls far short of what is needed in a neglected and underfunded area of huge human need and opportunity.”
