Gates Foundation pledges $2.5B toward women’s health research

The Gates Foundation on Monday said it is committing to invest $2.5 billion over the next five years to accelerate research and development in neglected areas of women’s health.

The funding will be channeled toward five priority areas of research that are particularly research to low- and middle-income countries. Among the targets for investment are contraception, maternal health, obstetric care, maternal immunization and sexually transmitted infections.

“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,” Anita Zaidi, president of the Gates Foundation’s Gender Equality Division, said in a statement.

Health conditions that primarily or disproportionately affect women have long been neglected. Lack of investment often slows the research necessary for biotechnology companies to develop new medicines, leaving common disorders such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome and preeclampsia without good treatment options.

The Gates Foundation highlighted non-hormonal contraception, preeclampsia treatment and research into the vaginal microbiome as areas of “breakthrough potential.”

Some of the investment will also go to supporting data collection and advocacy when products are approved for market.

According to a McKinsey Health Institute report, closing the gender health gap could boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040.

“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 prioritized everywhere,” said Bosede Afolabi, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the College of Medicine at the University of Lagos, in a statement provided by the foundation.

The Gates Foundation is also urging public and private sectors to co-invest in “women’s health innovations, [to] help shape product development, and ensure access to treatments for the women and girls who need them most.”

“We can’t do this alone,” said Ru-fong Cheng, director of Women’s Health Innovation at the Gates Foundation, in an email to BioPharma Dive. “Addressing the health needs of all women will require more co-investment from the private sector, investors, philanthropy and others. It’s so important because when we improve health outcomes for women, not only do they have the opportunity to live fuller lives, but we can also strengthen entire families, communities and economies.”

While private investment in women’s health research has increased in the U.S., the field faces threats from funding cuts, federal layoffs and new policies that worry physicians, researchers and other experts.

The new commitment from the Gates Foundation are also designed to support the organization’s 2045 goals, which aim to end preventable deaths of mothers and infants.

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