By Gift Briton
Every day, over 800 women die worldwide from preventable maternal complications, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Gates Foundation has announced a $2.5 billion commitment through 2030 to change that.
This funding is expected to catalyse over 40 health innovations across critical areas where medical knowledge gaps have persisted for decades: maternal health, contraceptive innovation, sexually transmitted infections, gynaecological conditions, and nutrition during pregnancy.
The Foundation’s initiative seeks to close the glaring gaps in funding, research, and innovation that have left millions of women in low- and middle-income countries at risk.
“For too long, women have suffered from health conditions that are misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or ignored,” said Dr. Anita Zaidi, president of the Gates Foundation’s Gender Equality Division.
“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 (R&D).”
The announcement has been hailed as a turning point in global health, especially in regions like Africa where access to quality reproductive and maternal healthcare remains scarce. Despite the high need, less than 1% of global healthcare research funding goes to female-specific conditions beyond cancer.
Calling the initiative “a moral and economic imperative,” Bill Gates, Chair of the Foundation, noted that investing in women’s health improves not just individual lives but whole economies.
Research shows that every $1 invested in women’s health yields $3 in economic growth, and closing the gender health gap could add $1 trillion annually to the global economy by 2040.
The funding will be directed toward five key areas of a woman’s lifespan: obstetric care and maternal immunisation, maternal health and nutrition, gynaecological and menstrual health, contraceptive innovation, and diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV prevention.
Potential breakthroughs include non-hormonal contraceptives, new therapeutics for preeclampsia, and tools that harness data from the vaginal microbiome, a largely unexplored frontier in women’s health science. Beyond product development, part of the investment will also go toward generating data, strengthening advocacy, and ensuring access and uptake once new treatments are approved.
“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,” Zaidi added. “Women’s health is not just a philanthropic cause, it’s an investable opportunity with immense potential for scientific breakthroughs.”
African experts have welcomed the initiative, stressing that it comes at a time when many women in the region are still suffering from basic health problems that could be prevented with the right tools and attention.
Dr. Bosede Afolabi, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Lagos, noted that the ripple effects of this investment could be profound.
“We see the consequences of underinvestment every day when women suffer needlessly or lose their lives,” Afolabi said. “This commitment brings much-needed attention to the health challenges women face where resources are limited and the burden is highest.”
The initiative builds on the Gates Foundation’s 25-year history of supporting maternal and child health. It complements existing efforts such as expanding access to HPV vaccines, reproductive health commodities, and child health services. The foundation is calling on governments, private investors, and philanthropic organisations to join in co-investing and scaling innovations.
With Africa’s population expected to double by 2050, and women at the center of family and community health, advocates say the time for bold action is now.
“We cannot build strong economies or healthy societies without healthy women,” said Zaidi. “This is our moment to make women’s health a global priority, and to treat it not as a niche issue, but as a central pillar of progress.”
