Gates foundation launches new long-acting contraceptives in amid mixed reactions

The initiative introduces two main methods: a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) that lasts up to eight years by releasing progestin to block sperm, and a microneedle skin patch that delivers hormones through dissolvable needles, reducing the need for frequent clinic visits.

Ru-fong Joanne Cheng, Director of Women's Health Innovations at the foundation, underscored the urgency of improving women's health. "Although women tend to live longer than men, they spend 25 percent more of their lives in poor health," she said, adding that reproductive health remains "too often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or ignored," Cheng noted that nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide—about 45 percent—are unplanned.

The rollout has nevertheless stirred controversy. Critics accuse the initiative of reflecting externally driven population control agendas, arguing that Africa is once again being used as a testing ground for global health innovations. Some have contrasted the program, questioning why such large-scale contraceptive rollouts appear less visible in Western countries.

Responding to the backlash, the foundation emphasized that Sub-Saharan Africa has the world's highest rates of unmet need for family planning. Melinda French Gates stressed that the program is designed to deliver longer-lasting and affordable options where demand is greatest.

Alongside the new IUDs and patches, the foundation is also scaling up access to DMPA-SC, a self-injectable contraceptive that enables private birth control. The injectable will be distributed across 35 countries, including Uganda, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Nigeria.