The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced the launch of a groundbreaking long-term contraceptive, designed to empower women with more effective and accessible family planning options. This innovative hormonal intrauterine device (IUD), which can prevent pregnancy for up to eight years, is being introduced in Kenya, Nigeria, and India, with plans for a broader global distribution in the near future. The development marks a new era in contraception, offering a reversible and low-maintenance solution that caters to the diverse needs of women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
According to Anita Zaidi, President of the Gates Foundation’s Gender Equality Division, the new IUD is engineered for affordability, accessibility, and ease of use. It works by releasing progestin, a synthetic hormone that thickens cervical mucus to block sperm and may also prevent ovulation. Once inserted, the device remains effective for up to eight years, making it the longest-lasting hormonal IUD available globally. This innovation directly addresses the urgent need for contraceptive methods that are not only highly effective but also fit seamlessly into women's lives without requiring frequent clinic visits.
In addition to the new IUD, the Gates Foundation is accelerating access to DMPA-SC, a self-injectable contraceptive. This method offers women a new level of convenience and privacy, as it can be self-administered at home. The injectable is being rolled out in more than 35 countries, including eight across Africa: the Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia. This initiative enhances a woman’s autonomy, helping to remove barriers such as travel to clinics or the stigma often associated with seeking reproductive health services.
These launches are part of a massive $2.5 billion commitment by the Gates Foundation to support research and innovation in women’s health over the coming years. This substantial funding, which translates to approximately Ksh324 billion, is strategically aimed at closing critical gaps in healthcare that disproportionately affect women and girls in underserved regions. The foundation's five-pronged strategy is a comprehensive approach to improving maternal and obstetric health, advancing gut health and nutritional outcomes, enhancing menstrual and gynecological care, expanding contraceptive choices and accessibility, and combating sexually transmitted infections in women.
