Gates Foundation Pledges $2.5B to Advance Women’s Health Research

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will invest $2.5 billion over the next five years to accelerate research in neglected women’s health areas, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. The funding will target contraception, maternal health, obstetric care, maternal immunization, and sexually transmitted infections, with particular emphasis on non-hormonal contraception, preeclampsia treatment, and vaginal microbiome research.

Anita Zaidi, president of the foundation’s Gender Equality Division, called it the organization’s largest women’s health investment but noted it remains far below global needs. Conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome often lack effective treatments due to chronic underfunding.

The initiative will also fund data collection, advocacy, and efforts to ensure market access for new products. The McKinsey Health Institute estimates closing the gender health gap could add $1 trillion annually to the global economy by 2040. The move supports the foundation’s 2045 goal of ending preventable maternal and infant deaths.

10-08-2025