Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Excellence my dear brother Dr. Jean Kaseya, distinguished guests, esteemed partners and friends, all protocols observed, dear Kriti, our honorary ambassador,
Good afternoon! It is such a pleasure to join you today. Standing here in my new role as Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations public health and population agency, I feel both privilege and responsibility. Because our conversation today is about shaping the future of women’s health—and with it, a healthier, more just and more prosperous future for everyone.
Every single day, over 700 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. That’s one woman lost every two minutes – needlessly.
Each year, cervical and breast cancer claim the lives of more than 1 million women.
These are not abstract numbers. They are lives cut short. They are mothers who cannot raise their children, daughters whose futures are stolen, leaders and colleagues whose potential is lost. Behind every statistic is a family left grieving, a community made weaker, and a society deprived of women’s full contribution.
Yet, women’s health remains under-researched, underfunded, and undervalued, and the health conditions of millions of women go undiagnosed.
Global investment in women’s health research and development has nearly doubled since 2018. But female-specific conditions beyond oncology still receive less than one percent of total funding.
Meanwhile, common women’s health problems cause more illness for women of reproductive age than malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV combined in low- and middle-income countries.
This is not only a tragedy. It is an injustice. And it is economically reckless.
It is estimated that closing the women’s health gap could generate an additional $1 trillion in global GDP annually by 2040.
Imagine what the world would look like if we unlocked this potential – a world where women and girls are healthier, and where our societies are more prosperous, inclusive, and resilient.
That is why we are here. Because investing in women’s health is not just a moral imperative. It is one of the smartest, most strategic investments of our time.
At UNFPA, we believe investment must be rooted in science, in data, and in scaling what works. For too long, women’s health has been treated as an afterthought in research and healthcare design.
It is time to invest boldly—in new technologies, inclusive solutions, and innovations that truly reflect the needs and experiences of women and girls.
Dear friends,
That is why UNFPA created the WomenX Collective. It’s about more than just funding. WomenX is building an ecosystem where women-focused innovations can thrive, scale, and reach the women who need them most, in every community, not just the privileged few.
UNFPA is bringing the best minds together around one shared goal: to improve the health and lives of women and girls. We work with data, we uphold dignity, and we deliver impact.
And we are already seeing results.
- Two years ago, at this very Summit, we launched the Equity 2030 Alliance to advance equity by design in science, technology and financing. Since then, our over 130 alliance members have mobilized billions of dollars towards gender equitable design centred on women’s needs.
- Earlier today, together with our partners, we launched the women’s health index, which will help organizations evaluate their current practices, set benchmarks and accelerate progress towards closing the gender health gap.
- Yesterday, we also launched the Berlin Roadmap, a collective pledge of partners to advance women’s health.
- We now have WomenX Collective Hubs in Berlin and Nairobi, and we introduced 3 scale-ready solutions – an innovative digital logistics system in Côte d’Ivoire, a self-injectable contraceptive in Uganda and a telemedicine solution in the Philippines.
Step by step we are mobilizing the collective action, shared knowledge and resources needed to create a better, more equitable future.
My message to you today: Help us close this unacceptable gap.
When we invest in women’s health, we invest in global wealth. It’s the right thing to do, and it is the smartest investment we can make today.
Together, let’s create a future that is healthier, more equal, and more just – a better future for women and girls and for all of us.
Danke schön.
