Gates Foundation Set To Launch 8-Year Contraceptive Campaign In Kenya
The Gates Foundation is launching a new contraceptive in many African countries, including Kenya, that will prevent pregnancy for eight years, making it the world’s first of its kind.
According to Anita Zaidi, President of the Gates Foundation’s Gender Equality Division, the organization is introducing the new hormonal IUD contraception in Kenya, Nigeria, and India.
A hormonal IUD is a long-acting, reversible contraceptive device that is put into the uterus and secretes progestin, a synthetic hormone.
The hormone thickens cervical mucus, preventing sperm from accessing and potentially fertilizing an egg, and it can also inhibit ovulation.
“A new hormonal IUD designed for affordability and a user-centered experience is being launched in Kenya, Nigeria, and possibly India,” Zaidi said.
Women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health than men, largely due to underfunding. As a pediatrician, I’ve seen the data and the patients.
— Anita Zaidi (@AnitaZaidi) August 4, 2025
That’s why the @GatesFoundation is investing $2.5B in women’s health. Details here: https://t.co/0ecC4FaTvw pic.twitter.com/xEfCsQP6sE
Furthermore, the organization plans to introduce DMPA-SC, a self-injectable contraception, to more than 35 nations worldwide.
This comprises eight African countries: the Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia.
According to Zaidi, the efforts are part of the Gates Foundation’s $2.5 billion (Ksh324 billion) commitment to elevate research and development solely focused on women’s health in five areas.
The foundation’s five priority areas are promoting maternal health, including obstetric care, understanding gut health, and nutrition.
“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.” – @AnitaZaidi, Gates Foundation President of Gender Equality
— Gates Foundation (@gatesfoundation) August 4, 2025
Learn more about our latest… pic.twitter.com/Ahb96uy4Aj
Furthermore, it will improve gynaecological and menstrual health, broaden contraception options, and treat transmitted diseases among women.
“The commitment builds on the foundation’s 25-year legacy of work in maternal and child health, aiming to help end preventable deaths of mothers and babies, ensure the next generation grows up free from deadly infectious diseases, and lift millions out of poverty by 2045,” Zaidi said.
Modern contraceptive use in Kenya has increased dramatically over time, with more women using family planning methods to manage and avoid unplanned births.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that pills, injections, implants, IUDs, condoms, sterilization, and emergency contraception are extensively used in Kenya.
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The Ministry of Health acknowledged two months ago that it had received 186,072 contraceptive commodities for distribution across the country.
The commodities were acquired by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and sponsored by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
On Wednesday, June 18, Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Olunga stated that the contraceptives included 16,272 sets of Levoplant, 69,800 doses of DMPA-SC, and 100,000 sets of Jadelle.
Ouma affirmed that the commodities will play a vital role in averting over 131,000 unintended pregnancies, reducing unsafe abortions, and reducing contraceptive stockouts in healthcare facilities.
Gates Foundation Set To Launch 8-Year Contraceptive Campaign In Kenya
