Bill Gates Foundation to Introduce 8 Year Pregnancy-Prevention Contaceptive in Kenya

Kenya is among the first countries selected to receive a new contraceptive that can prevent pregnancy for up to eight years.

The method is being introduced by the Gates Foundation, founded by billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates.

What is the new method?

According to Anita Zaidi, the foundation’s President for Gender Equality, the product is a low-cost hormonal IUD that will be rolled out in Kenya, Nigeria, and India.

The device is placed in the uterus and slowly releases hormones that stop pregnancy by blocking sperm and, in some cases, ovulation. Once inserted, it can work for up to eight years, making it the longest-lasting contraceptive ever introduced.

Zaidi said the IUD has been designed to be affordable and user-friendly, especially for women in low- and middle-income countries.

Apart from the new IUD, the foundation is also expanding access to DMPA-SC, a self-injectable contraceptive. This option will be rolled out in over 35 countries, including African nations such as Uganda, Zambia, Senegal, Malawi, and Nigeria.

These efforts are part of a $2.5 billion (about KSh 324 billion) investment by the Gates Foundation focused entirely on women’s health.

The funding targets five key areas:

Maternal and obstetric care
Nutrition and gut health
Gynaecological and menstrual health
Expanded contraceptive choices
Prevention and treatment of STIs in women

The goal is to reduce preventable deaths and improve the quality of life for women and children by 2045.

Kenya already embracing family planning

Kenya has seen a steady rise in contraceptive use over the years. Methods such as pills, injections, implants, IUDs, condoms, and emergency contraception are widely used, according to the World Health Organization.

Recently, the Ministry of Health received over 186,000 contraceptive commodities, funded by the UK government and supplied through the United Nations Population Fund.

The supplies included implants and injectable contraceptives expected to prevent more than 131,000 unintended pregnancies and reduce shortages in public hospitals.

Why it matters

With the arrival of the 8-year contraceptive, Kenyan women will soon have more control, fewer clinic visits, and longer protection, marking a major step forward in reproductive health.