The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is set to launch a new long-acting contraceptive in Africa, beginning with Kenya later this year, as part of a US$2.5 billion commitment to accelerate research and expand services for the health of African women.
- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is launching a new affordable long-term contraceptive in Africa, starting with Kenya.
- The contraceptives, including a hormonal IUD effective for up to eight years and a contraceptive patch, aim to address obstacles such as cost and accessibility.
- While receiving praise, concerns were raised about the ethical implications of externally funded family planning initiatives in Africa.
This innovation by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation follows research showing poor health outcomes for African women, particularly those in underserved communities, and limited R&D funding for women’s health conditions beyond cancer.
“Today, women’s health issues are still too often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or ignored. Although women generally live longer than men, they spend 25% more of their lives in poor health.” Ru-fong Joanne Cheng, Director, Women’s Health Innovations, Gates Foundation noted.
The new contraceptive: an affordable hormonal intrauterine device (IUD)—is designed to be effective for up to eight years, and will provide a discreet option for women in low-income households.
“A new hormonal IUD designed for affordability and a user-centered experience is being launched in Kenya, Nigeria, and possibly India,” Dr Anita Zaidi, head of the Gender Equality Division at the Gates Foundation noted.
The device is inserted into the uterus, where it releases progestin, a synthetic hormone that thickens cervical mucus to prevent sperm from reaching and fertilising an egg.
Ru-fong described the revolutionary contraceptive patch, saying, “Imagine getting six months of contraceptive protection by pressing a small patch onto your skin. Discreet and self-administered.”
She further explained that the patch is embedded with microneedles containing progestin, which delivers protection over several months.
The foundation emphasized that the new programme will “ensure that women and girls in low and middle-income countries can access the contraceptives and family planning information they want and thus exercise their right to decide whether to have children and, if so, when and how many.”
Dr. Anita also noted that the programme builds on the foundation’s 25-year work in maternal and child health, aimed at ending preventable deaths, eliminating deadly infectious diseases, and lifting millions out of poverty by 2045.
“Many women in these communities want to have control over their reproductive health but do not use existing contraceptive methods because of male interference, concerns about side effects, or lack of access to options that meet their specific needs. As a result, nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide—about 45%—are unplanned” the Foundation said
With the help of regional partners and government, the Gates foundation will expand access to the self-injectable contraceptive DMPA-SC to at least 35 countries, including Uganda, Senegal, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Other funded innovations include rapid testing for sexually transmitted infections, AI-enabled ultrasound devices, and vaginal health therapies.
Why Africa is the Focus
According to the Foundation, Sub-Saharan Africa has some of the highest rates of unmet need for family planning globally, with barriers ranging from cost and distance to health facilities to cultural opposition.
Many countries also face high rates of adolescent pregnancies, maternal mortality, and limited reproductive health infrastructure. By targeting Africa, the initiative seeks to provide longer-lasting, affordable options in regions where demand for family planning remains largely unmet.
As Melinda French Gates emphasized, “Contraceptives are one of the most powerful tools we have. It puts the power in the hands of young girls and women to plan their families, and quite honestly, to plan their futures.”
Potential Implications
However, some critics raise concerns that contraceptive programs in Africa may be perceived as externally imposed population control.
This notion further suggests that the continent is being used as a testing ground for global health innovations, noting that similar large-scale rollouts are less visible in wealthier nations.
Considering concerns from billionaires like Elon Musk and western pro-life activists about declining populations in their own countries, which highlight contrasting demographic priorities, critics argue that the new program not only focuses on population control but also risks taking away one of Africa’s major advantages: its growing population.
Olamilekan Okebiorun
