Overview
- The five-year commitment targets five priority R&D areas: obstetric care and maternal immunization, maternal health and nutrition, gynecological and menstrual health, contraceptive innovation and sexually transmitted infections.
- Over 40 innovations will be supported to address deeply under-researched conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis and menopause.
- Only 1% of global healthcare R&D funding extends beyond cancer to female-specific conditions, underscoring the initiative’s role in closing chronic research gaps.
- Dr. Anita Zaidi highlighted systemic bias and scarce clinical data as barriers to progress, noting some uterine drug studies involve only a handful of participants.
- Foundation leaders emphasize that additional funding from governments, private investors and other philanthropies is essential because the pledge alone falls short of global needs.