Gates Foundation Commits $2.5 Billion to Transform Women’s Health by 2030

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced one of its largest-ever commitments: a $2.5 billion investment over the next five years to tackle some of the most underfunded and misunderstood conditions affecting women worldwide — including preeclampsia, menopause, and endometriosis.

The funding will target five core areas:

• Gynecological and menstrual health

• Obstetric care and maternal immunization

• Contraceptive innovation

• Sexually transmitted infections

• Maternal health and nutrition

  
  

Bill Gates called the move an overdue correction to decades of neglect.

“Investing in women’s health has a lasting impact across generations. It leads to healthier families, stronger economies, and a more just world,” he said. “Yet women’s health continues to be ignored, underfunded, and sidelined. That must change. But we can’t do it alone.”

Dr. Anita Zaidi, who heads gender equality at the Foundation, underscored the scale of the problem:

“For too long, women have suffered from health conditions that are misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or ignored. We want this investment to spark a new era of women-centered innovation.”

The statistics are stark. Zaidi noted that in some cases, as few as 10 women have ever been included in certain medical studies — leaving vast gaps in understanding and treatment. A 2021 McKinsey & Co. report found that just 1% of health research funding goes to female-specific conditions outside of cancer.

While $2.5 billion is a significant figure, Zaidi said it remains “a drop in the bucket” compared to what’s needed, urging governments, philanthropists, and private companies to help close the gender health gap.

The announcement comes as Gates continues his plan to donate his entire $200 billion fortune by 2045. His former wife, Melinda French Gates, who left the Foundation last year, continues to fund women’s health initiatives through her own projects.

Source: Gates Foundation, Reuters, McKinsey & Co.