The future of women’s health

Next-generation contraceptives

257 million women want contraception but can’t access it—and nearly 40% of users in low- and middle-income countries stop within a year due to dissatisfaction with their method.

Contraceptive options have remained largely unchanged for generations, despite women’s changing needs. To address this inequity, our foundation has committed US$280,000 annually from 2021 to 2030 to develop new and improved contraceptive technologies that respond to the preferences of women and girls in low- and middle-income countries and address the barriers that prevent them from using contraceptives, including cost and access.

Next-generation contraceptives such as a once-a-month pill, injectable contraceptives that last six months, and discreet microarray patches can empower women and girls to make contraceptive decisions that suit their life circumstances.

Microarray vaccine patches

Microarray patches (MAPs) could provide health solutions in delivering vaccines and contraceptives, and could be used in treatments for other health conditions like osteoporosis. Tiny microneedles deliver a dose when pressed against the skin—a less painful, more accessible alternative to traditional injections.

AI-enabled ultrasounds

The first step in preventing newborn deaths is early screening of pregnant women to identify those at risk of developing complications. In the United States, this is widely done through routine checkups and scans. But in low- and middle-income countries, access to diagnostic tools such as ultrasound machines and skilled medical technicians can be limited.

We support partners who are developing and testing portable ultrasound machines with diagnostic capabilities aided by artificial intelligence. Studies show that these devices can accurately identify high-risk pregnancies and estimate gestational age, which can greatly augment the expertise of health workers. They are currently being tested in Kenya and South Africa to determine whether large-scale use can make a measurable difference in outcomes for mothers and babies.

Future-ready diagnostic tools

We invested in low-cost COVID-19 diagnostic tools early in the pandemic while vaccines and therapeutics were still in development. Some of those innovations could be critical in the fight against other deadly diseases. One example is the inexpensive LumiraDx portable testing system, which health workers can bring to remote communities and obtain highly accurate results within just 12 minutes.

Another example is molecular testing systems that test self-collected tongue swabs for tuberculosis and self-collected vaginal swabs for human papillomavirus (HPV). Ultimately, these types of high-quality, low-cost devices and technologies can be used in public health emergencies as well as for ongoing patient care.

Gut-informed nutrition

We’re working to understand the biology of nutrition and nutritional needs across the lifespan, especially for mothers and babies. This includes investigating specific bacterial strains and subspecies in the gut and developing targeted interventions that address inflammation and support better health outcomes.

We fund research into low-cost, ready-to-use microbiome-directed foods that can help children gain weight and prevent malnutrition relapse.

Microbiome-directed products

Innovation in microbiome manufacturing can make microbiome-directed products cost-effective and scalable in low-resource settings.

New forms of HIV prevention

Investments in R&D have yielded new options for HIV prevention and better and more efficient treatment and care delivery strategies. These include long-acting injectables such as cabotegravir (CAB-LA), a type of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) that can help address some of the unique risks faced by young women and adolescent girls, including stigma associated with taking daily oral forms of PrEP.

CAB-LA is more effective than oral PrEP and has many other characteristics that may appeal to users.

A one-and-done vaccine for HPV

Deaths from preventable diseases are among the starkest forms of inequity. About 90% of women who die from cervical cancer—one of the most common cancers among women—live in low- and middle-income countries. An exciting recent development could go a long way toward addressing this longstanding crisis.

New research has found that one dose of the vaccine for HPV—the virus that causes cervical cancer—is just as effective as a two-dose regimen. This new single-dose guidance can help make these lifesaving vaccines more available and accessible to women and girls everywhere.