The WomenX Nairobi Hub by @UNFPA iwill be investing $100M in life-saving innovations to close the gap in women’s health. Photo UNFP
UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, is proud to launch its WomenX Collective (WomenX) Nairobi Hub on 9 June 2025 at the Aga Khan University Auditorium.
WomenX supports locally led initiatives that develop and scale practical solutions, such as new technologies, service delivery models, and financing tools, to close care gaps for women and girls.
They are creating a network across Africa and beyond to improve women’s health by bringing together governments, health experts, innovators, and funders.
Building on the October 2024 launch of its Berlin Hub, the new Nairobi Hub marks a major step in extending WomenX’s impact across the continent and globally.
The Nairobi Hub was being launched in partnership with the Government of Kenya, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and Aga Khan University.
Together, these partners aim to build a global innovation hub based in Africa, advancing women’s health innovation and accelerating progress toward gender equity in health systems worldwide.
A Strategic Investment in Women’s Health
“Every minute, at least two women die globally from breast or cervical cancer, or pregnancy-related complications due to inequitable access to healthcare,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA.
“Through the WomenX Collective Nairobi Hub, UNFPA and our partners aim to invest in and scale transformative solutions to close critical health gaps and ensure that women and girls everywhere can access the care they deserve — and that is their right.”
With initial funding commitments from international donors – including the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Organon & Co., among others – the WomenX Collective aims to mobilize $100 million in catalytic investment by 2030 and leverage financing to scale innovative solutions.
The programme has the potential to avert at least 10.4 million unintended pregnancies, 3.2 million unsafe abortions, and 21,000 maternal deaths.
Through its hubs and partnerships, the programme is uniquely positioned to bring together experience and technical expertise from across countries and regions, as well as modern technologies and sustainable financing.
Africa as an Innovation Powerhouse
The Nairobi Hub will serve as a platform to unite research, scalable technologies, and innovative financing strategies across Africa.
With its proximity to a thriving ecosystem of health and tech innovators, Nairobi plays a central role in delivering sustainable impact for women and girls across the continent and beyond
A Call to Action
The inauguration of the WomenX Nairobi Hub will gather funders, regional stakeholders, health leaders, and innovators to ignite bold commitments, amplify evidence-based investment strategies, and catalyze new collaborations.
It will issue a clarion call for governments, philanthropies, and the private sector to prioritize women’s health, not just as a moral imperative, but as a cornerstone of social and economic progress.
“The Nairobi Hub is more than a location,” said Dr. Nigina Muntean, Chief of Innovation and Transformation Branch at UNFPA.
“In close collaboration with the WomenX Berlin Hub, it’s a commitment to drive lasting change through the power of women-centered innovation. Every dollar invested today unlocks exponential returns for future generations.”
About the WomenX Collective
The WomenX Collective is an innovative UNFPA-led initiative designed to close critical gaps in women’s health, especially in sexual, reproductive, and maternal care, by supporting locally led, scalable solutions.
With a strategy centered on catalytic funding, evidence-based scaling, and systems-level adoption, the Collective aims to redirect global health R&D resources toward women’s priorities, particularly in underserved communities.
Find out more about the WomenX Collective here:
https://www.unfpa.org/womenx-collective
