Bill Gates Unveils World’s First 8-Year Contraceptive in Africa

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is launching a groundbreaking contraceptive in Africa that can prevent pregnancy for up to eight years the first of its kind in the world.

The hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) will debut in Kenya and Nigeria, with possible rollout in India.

Anita Zaidi, President of the Foundation’s Gender Equality Division, said the innovation is designed for affordability and a user-centered experience, especially for women in low- and middle-income countries.

How It Works

A hormonal IUD is a long-acting, reversible contraceptive placed inside the uterus.

It releases progestin, a synthetic hormone that thickens cervical mucus to block sperm and may also stop ovulation.

The result is highly effective pregnancy prevention without daily pills or frequent injections.

“The new hormonal IUD represents an affordable, long-lasting solution that could transform family planning for millions of women,” Zaidi said.

More Global Rollouts

Alongside the IUD, the Gates Foundation plans to expand access to DMPA-SC a self-injectable contraceptive in more than 35 countries.

In Africa, the list includes the Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, and Nigeria.

These initiatives are part of the Foundation’s $2.5 billion commitment to advance women’s health research and development.

The focus spans five areas:

• Improving maternal and obstetric care
• Enhancing gut health and nutrition
• Strengthening gynecological and menstrual health

Expanding contraceptive choices

Combating sexually transmitted infections

Impact in Kenya

Kenya has made steady progress in modern contraceptive use, with women increasingly choosing family planning to prevent unintended pregnancies.

Current options include pills, injections, implants, condoms, IUDs, sterilization, and emergency contraception.

Just two months ago, Kenya’s Ministry of Health received over 186,000 contraceptive commodities funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and procured through the United Nations Population Fund.

Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Olunga confirmed that these supplies including Levoplant, DMPA-SC doses, and Jadelle sets could help avert more than 131,000 unintended pregnancies, reduce unsafe abortions, and prevent stockouts in clinics.

With the arrival of the world’s first 8-year contraceptive, experts say women in Africa will have greater control over their reproductive health, potentially reducing maternal mortality and lifting millions out of poverty by 2045.

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