Gates Foundation commits $2.5 billion to women’s health R&D by 2030

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $2.5 billion through 2030 to support research and development focused exclusively on women’s health. The investment will support over 40 innovations across five health areas that are currently underfunded, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

“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 prioritised in health R&D.”

According to the foundation, women’s health R&D remains significantly underfunded. Areas such as gynaecological and menstrual health, obstetric care, contraceptive innovation, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and maternal health and nutrition have not received adequate investment. A 2021 analysis led by McKinsey & Company found that only 1 per cent of healthcare research and innovation is allocated to female-specific conditions outside oncology.

“Investing in women’s health has a lasting impact across generations. It leads to healthier families, stronger economies, and a more just world,” said Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation. “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 address this funding gap, the Gates Foundation is calling on governments, philanthropists, investors, and the private sector to co-invest in health innovations for women, help shape product development, and improve access to treatments for women and girls in need.

“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,” said Zaidi. “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.”

The commitment targets five high-impact areas across a woman’s lifespan:

• Obstetric care and maternal immunisation, aimed at making pregnancy and delivery safer

• Maternal health and nutrition, supporting better outcomes for mothers and newborns

• Gynaecological and menstrual health, improving tools for diagnosis, treatment, and infection risk reduction

• Contraceptive innovation, focused on developing more accessible and effective options

• STIs, with improvements in diagnosis and treatment

The investment will also support innovation in areas such as research into the vaginal microbiome, non-hormonal contraception, and first-in-class therapeutics for preeclampsia. Funding will also be directed toward data generation and advocacy to ensure product uptake after approval.

The priority areas were identified based on data, insights from women in low- and middle-income countries, and the high rates of misdiagnosis resulting from gaps in medical knowledge and training. The foundation noted that the unique challenges in low-resource settings make these areas suitable for public and private investment to drive scalable outcomes.

“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,” said Dr. Bosede Afolabi, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. “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 noted that improving women’s health can also unlock broader economic benefits. Data shows that every $1 invested in women’s health generates $3 in economic growth. Closing the gender health gap could add $1 trillion to the global economy annually by 2040.

This initiative supports the Gates Foundation’s long-term goals for 2045, which include ending preventable deaths of mothers and babies, eradicating infectious diseases, and reducing poverty. The investment builds on 25 years of the foundation’s global work in maternal and child health and women’s empowerment, and complements its ongoing efforts in scaling health commodities, vaccines, and child health programmes.