Gender activists want more philanthropic funding for maternal health

Addressing the women’s health funding gap could boost the global economy by $1 trillion. But currently, only 4% of all biopharma research and development spending goes toward female-specific conditions.

By David Njagi // 09 May 2024

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Gender health activists want philanthropists to step up and start filling the gaps in maternal and child health funding.

According to Donor Tracker, total official development assistance to maternal, newborn, and child health stagnated between 2017 and 2021 at around $10 billion annually, with 53% of funding coming from bilateral donors in 2021.

Underfunding has mainly affected primary health care but there are also serious shortfalls in research and development, said Katelen Kellogg, communications officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation philanthropic partnerships team.

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About the author

David Njagi
David Njagi is a Kenya-based Devex Contributing Reporter with over 12 years’ experience in the field of journalism. He graduated from the Technical University of Kenya with a diploma in journalism and public relations. He has reported for local and international media outlets, such as the BBC Future Planet, Reuters AlertNet, allAfrica.com, Inter Press Service, Science and Development Network, Mongabay Reporting Network, and Women’s Media Center.