Home - Tagesspiegel Expert Talk: Women’s Health Innovations

Women’s bodies differ from men’s, but science and medicine have, historically, paid little attention to these sex- and gender-based differences. Women’s health conditions and needs—like endometriosis and contraceptives—are still underfunded and under-researched, leading to gaps between women’s and men’s health.

One initiative to accelerate scientific discovery and innovation to improve the health of women globally is the Innovation Equity Forum (IEF), a community of 250+ stakeholders across 50 countries, launched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH). The IEF created the Women’s Health Innovation Opportunity Map, 50 High-Return Opportunities to Advance Global Women’s Health R&D. One year after the Opportunity Map was launched and highlighted during the World health Summit 2023, the time is ripe to take stock of progress that has been made and opportunities that remain to move Women’s Health forward.

We aim to discuss: What were the most exciting developments in women’s health in 2024? What are current major challenges? How can different stakeholders contribute to improving innovations to address conditions that disproportionately affect the lives of women - also in low- and middle-income countries?