Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) are a longstanding political, technical and funding partner to UNFPA, and provide strong global leadership in the sexual and reproductive health and rights doman. Further information about BMGF’s vision to ensure a world where every person can live a healthy, productive life can be found here.

BMGF have provided vital support for the UNFPA Supplies Partnership, including the $50 million UNFPA Supplies challenge fund grant in 2021, which was launched by BMGF in partnership with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and a private donor, to provide emergency modern contraceptives and life saving maternal health medicines to those in need. Through this donation, many people including high school student Christabel Mwewa, received access to long-acting contraceptive methods to ensure that unplanned pregnancies do not sideline their goals. 

In March 2022, the BMGF announced support for the World Health Organization and UNFPA’s Prequalification Programme to  help assure male latex condoms, female condoms, and copper IUDs procured for family planning programmes in developing countries are meeting international standards of quality, safety, and performance.

UNFPA was also awarded a Catalytic Leadership Investment grant in 2022 that was announced by the ED at the Global Citizen Festival in September. This grant is working to further strengthen UNFPA’s global leadership and integrated support to field teams on SRHR, in particular family planning and maternal and newborn health, to accelerate reductions in the unmet need for FP and preventable maternal deaths. 

BMGF and UNFPA continue to explore a closer partnership around common priorities in family planning and reproductive, maternal, and child health including in key countries Ethiopia and India . The UNFPA’s 2022–2025 Strategic Plan and the BMGF’s New Family Planning Strategy represent an opportunity for closer alignment around mutual priority areas where we can achieve the most significant impact. 

In a major step toward expanding access to voluntary family planning for millions who need it, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in September 2023, has made a long-term commitment of up to $100 million to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership to support commodity procurement directly.