Gates Foundation commits $2.5 billion to transform women’s health research
The Gates Foundation announces unprecedented $2.5 billion investment through 2030 to accelerate research and development in chronically underfunded women’s health areas, targeting maternal, menstrual, gynaecological, and sexual health innovations for global impact, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
The Gates Foundation has unveiled its largest-ever commitment to women’s health research, pledging $2.5 billion through 2030 to spark innovation in areas that have been systematically neglected by traditional medical research funding. The landmark investment aims to advance more than 40 innovations across five critical health domains that disproportionately affect women in low- and middle-income countries.
The announcement, made on 4 August 2025, represents a seismic shift in addressing what researchers and advocates have long identified as a persistent gender gap in medical research and development. Current healthcare R&D allocates merely 1% of investment to female-specific conditions beyond oncology, according to a 2021 McKinsey & Company analysis, leaving hundreds of millions of women with inadequately researched and treated conditions.
Addressing chronic underfunding in women’s health
“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-centred innovation – one where women’s lives, bodies, and voices are prioritised in health R&D.”
The foundation’s investment strategy targets five high-impact areas spanning a woman’s lifespan: obstetric care and maternal immunisation, maternal health and nutrition, gynaecological and menstrual health, contraceptive innovation, and sexually transmitted infection management. These domains were selected based on comprehensive data analysis, direct consultation with women in target regions, and evidence of where innovation could save and improve the most lives.
Critical conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, and menopause – collectively affecting hundreds of millions of women globally – remain profoundly under-researched despite their significant health and economic burden.
Scientific breakthrough opportunities
The investment promises to unlock breakthrough potential in several cutting-edge research areas, including investigation into the vaginal microbiome, development of first-in-class therapeutics for preeclampsia, and advancement of non-hormonal contraceptive technologies. The commitment encompasses not only direct research funding but also investments in data generation and advocacy to ensure successful product uptake and widespread impact upon regulatory approval.
“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.
The foundation’s approach recognises the unique challenges faced in low-resource settings, making these research areas particularly suitable for broader public and private sector investment to drive meaningful, scalable impact across diverse healthcare systems.
Economic imperative for investment
Beyond the humanitarian imperative, the Gates Foundation emphasises the substantial economic rationale for increased women’s health investment. Research demonstrates that every $1 invested in women’s health generates $3 in economic growth, whilst closing the gender health gap could boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040.
“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.”
Call for collaborative investment
The foundation explicitly acknowledges that its historic commitment, whilst substantial, remains insufficient to address the full scope of unmet need in women’s health research. The organisation is actively urging governments, philanthropists, investors, and private sector partners to co-invest in women’s health innovations, participate in shaping product development, and ensure equitable access to emerging treatments for the women and girls who need them most.
“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 Dr 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.”
Long-term strategic goals
This comprehensive investment aligns with the Gates Foundation’s ambitious 2045 goals: ending preventable deaths of mothers and babies, ensuring the next generation grows up without suffering from deadly infectious diseases, and lifting millions of people out of poverty towards prosperity. The initiative builds upon the foundation’s 25-year legacy of advancing maternal and child health whilst supporting women’s empowerment globally.
The research and development commitment complements existing foundation programmes supporting the scale-up and delivery of women’s health commodities, vaccines such as the HPV vaccine, and comprehensive child health interventions.
