Gates Foundation has committed $2.5 billion to accelerate research and development (R&D) focused exclusively on women’s health.
In a statement on Monday, the foundation announced that the investments, running through 2030, aim to catalyse innovation in maternal, menstrual, gynaecological, and sexual health for women globally.
The support will advance over 40 innovations across five critical, chronically underfunded areas, particularly those affecting women in low- and middle-income countries.
The foundation noted that women’s health R&D remains severely underfunded, especially in areas such as gynaecological and menstrual health, obstetric care, contraceptive innovation, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) solutions (including HIV PrEP for women), and maternal health and nutrition.
It cited a 2021 McKinsey & Company report which found that only one per cent of healthcare research and innovation is invested in female-specific conditions beyond oncology.
Critical issues like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, and menopause, which together affect hundreds of millions of women, remain deeply under-researched.
Dr Anita Zaidi, President of Gates Foundation’s Gender Equality Division, 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.”
“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.”
Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation, added, “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.”
To bridge persistent gaps in funding and research, the foundation called on governments, philanthropists, investors, and the private sector to co-invest in women’s health innovations, support product development, and ensure access to treatments for the women and girls who need them most.
The five priority areas were selected based on data and evidence on where innovation can save and improve the most lives. These choices also reflect insights from women in low- and middle-income countries about their needs and preferences, as well as high rates of misdiagnosis caused by medical knowledge gaps and training limitations.
Prof. Bosede Afolabi, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said, “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 prioritised everywhere.”
The foundation said addressing long-standing gaps in women’s health could unlock broader social and economic gains, citing research that every $1 invested in women’s health yields $3 in economic growth. Closing the gender health gap could also boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040.
The R&D commitment complements the foundation’s existing efforts in scaling women’s health commodities, vaccines like the HPV vaccine, and child health programmes.
(NAN)