In a bold assertion of national sovereignty, Namibia’s President, Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has rejected a proposal by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct trials of a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) in the country.
The long-acting contraceptive, designed to prevent pregnancy for up to eight years, was presented as a way to expand reproductive options. However, President Nandi-Ndaitwah — Africa’s first female elected Head of State — denounced the plan as an affront to Namibia’s dignity and a threat to its population growth.
“Namibia is a nation of modest size, with a population of just over 3 million. If any country should consider measures to curb population growth, it ought to be nations like the United States, with over 347 million people. Any attempt to hinder or suppress the growth of human potential in Namibia constitutes a grave injustice to our people and their future,” she said in a public statement.
Namibia, one of the world’s least densely populated nations, has historically pushed back against foreign-led population control programs. The President questioned why such trials are being targeted at African countries rather than densely populated nations with larger environmental footprints.
She also raised concerns about informed consent, long-term health implications, and the historical memory of colonial control over African bodies.
“Namibian women are not lab rats. We will not accept interventions that sideline our people in decisions about their own reproductive futures,” she said.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a US$2.5 billion initiative to improve women’s health in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries. The hormonal IUD, set for launch in Kenya later this year, will also be introduced in Nigeria and potentially India.
Dr. Anita Zaidi, Head of the Gender Equality Division at the Foundation, said the aim is to give women more discreet, long-term contraceptive options. The device works by releasing progestin into the uterus, thickening cervical mucus to prevent sperm from reaching an egg.
The Foundation argues that limited access to family planning, male interference, and side effects from existing methods contribute to nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide being unplanned.
Other initiatives include expanding access to the self-injectable contraceptive DMPA-SC in 35 countries,including Uganda, Senegal, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and introducing rapid STI testing, AI-enabled ultrasound devices, vaginal health therapies, and a contraceptive patch that delivers six months of protection via microneedles.
She’s not the First Female African elected president. How about Ellen Sirlif Johnson former Liberian President from 2006 to 2018? That’s way before the Namibia president.
Sometimes try even a simple google so you’ve facts
Ellen Sirlif Johnson was the first female elected African president d
Good decision.
Why not experiment in your country
First.
Dr. Bill Gates, the all region is behind an African leader and I can only say we’re sorry. Charity begins at home first. Do that in America first.
These are the leaders africa needs.
Do not be misled by bill gates. His intentions are very nefarious.
The fastest growing population is Africans. They want to curb that, because there is power in numbers. And they are also propagandasing our women into despising motherhood.
While i agree that nations should reject Western foreign aid, I disagree with JD Vance that women who make their own choices are crazy cat ladies.
While female sexual health is a priority, it’s up to the state to govern itself. If Bill is serious, he should give the money to set up the nations own infrastructure, instead of making the nation dependent on foreign aid. FA comes with a cost – loss of state autonomy.