The Gates Foundation has announced that it plans to spend $2.5 billion to encourage research and development on women’s health through 2030.
It is its largest investment in women’s health research and will focus on five areas:
- Obstetric care and maternal immunization: Making pregnancy and delivery safer
- Maternal health and nutrition: Supporting healthier pregnancies and newborns
- Gynecological and menstrual health: Advancing tools and research to better diagnose, treat, and improve gynecological health and reduce infection risk
- Contraceptive innovation: Offering more accessible, acceptable, and effective options
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): Improving diagnosis and treatment to reduce disproportionate burdens on women.
The Foundation says those areas are where it believes there is the biggest potential for innovation to save and improve lives. Within those categories, it believes there is potential for breakthroughs in research on vaginal microbiome, therapeutics for preeclampsia, and non-hormonal contraception
“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. “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.”