The Gates Foundation has committed $2.5 billion through 2030 to accelerate research and development (R&D) in women’s health, focusing on over 40 innovations in five crucial and underfunded areas, particularly for women in low- and middle-income countries.
Currently, research in women’s health is severely underfunded. Key areas such as gynecological and menstrual health, obstetric care, contraceptive innovation, solutions for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and maternal health receive minimal investment. A 2021 analysis by McKinsey & Company revealed that only 1% of healthcare R&D funding targets female-specific conditions beyond oncology. Issues like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and menopause, which affect millions, remain largely unaddressed.
To address these gaps, the foundation encourages governments, philanthropists, and investors to co-invest in women’s health initiatives, thereby shaping product development and ensuring access to vital treatments.
The five key areas of focus are:
- Obstetric care and maternal immunization: Making pregnancy and delivery safer.
-
Maternal health and nutrition: Supporting healthier pregnancies and newborns.
-
Gynecological and menstrual health: Enhancing diagnosis and treatment.
-
Contraceptive innovation: Providing accessible and effective options.
-
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): Improving diagnosis and treatment.
Potential breakthroughs include research into the vaginal microbiome, therapeutics for preeclampsia, and non-hormonal contraception. The investment aims to create significant social and economic benefits, with each $1 invested in women’s health potentially generating $3 in economic growth. Closing the gender health gap could boost the global economy by $1 trillion per year by 2040.
This commitment supports the foundation’s long-term goals of eliminating preventable deaths of mothers and babies, combating infectious diseases, and helping millions escape poverty, while continuing its legacy of promoting women’s health and empowerment globally.
KEY QUOTES:
“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-centered innovation—one where women’s lives, bodies, and voices are prioritized 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. Women’s health is not just a philanthropic cause—it’s an investable opportunity with immense potential for scientific breakthroughs that could help millions of women. What’s needed is the will to pursue and follow through.”
Dr. Anita Zaidi, president of the Gates Foundation’s Gender Equality Division
“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.”
Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation
“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. This commitment brings much-needed attention to the health challenges women face in places where resources are most limited and the burden is highest. It reflects a recognition that women’s lives—and the innovations that support them—must be prioritized everywhere.”
Dr. Bosede Afolabi, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos
