GEOFF BENNETT: The Gates Foundation announced# a new $2.5 billion pledge through the year 2030## for women's health initiatives across the# globe.

It comes at a time when the Trump## administration is cutting major research and# aid directed at women and maternal health.

Amna Nawaz spoke recently with the point# person about the goals of this new funding.

AMNA NAWAZ: Dr. Anita Zaidi is president of the## Gates Foundation's Gender Equality# Division, and she joins me now.

Dr. Zaidi, welcome to the "News# Hour."

Thanks for joining us.

DR. ANITA ZAIDI, Gender Equality Division,# Gates Foundation: Thank you, Amna.## Thank you for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: So thi.. of $2.5 billion for women's health over the# next five years is focused on five areas.

I will tick through them quickly here, obstetric## care to make pregnancy and delivery# safer, maternal health and nutrition,## gynecological and menstrual health, more# accessible and effective contraceptive options,## and better diagnosis and treatment of# STIs, or sexually transmitted infections.

So why these five priorities?# What's the overarching goal here?

DR. ANITA ZAIDI: So, Amna, this is --# when we looked at all of the data that is## there for women's health and what it is that# causes a lot of problems around the world,## these were the areas that# had three things in common.

One is, they are a huge burden and unmet# need.

Two is that they are very neglected## from an R&D perspective.

And three is that# low-cost, affordable innovations that can## be available in the near-term horizon# are possible for many of these issues.

AMNA NAWAZ: You said also these are going# to particularly affect women in low and## middle-income countries.

We should point out your# background was in pediatric care in Pakistan.

Can you just give us an example of the# kinds of things that you would see that## tells you these investments make a real# difference?

Give us one or two stories.

DR. ANITA ZAIDI: Yes.

So how often, for example, women#don't get Caesarean sections in time## because we don't have the right tools to# diagnose when she needs a Caesarean section,## or unnecessary Caesarean sections# are done because we guess wrong.## And that's a problem actually that# women face all around the world.

But I used to see this all the time, that a# Caesarean section was delayed because you did## not know that this woman actually needed# to be in a hospital that was far away.

And so one of the things I think which would be# the most transformative and which we will see come## out sooner, in the next five years, is going to# be what we can do with artificial intelligence to## be able to really understand when a woman really# needs a Caesarean section for a safe delivery.

AMNA NAWAZ: We should point out too these are# areas that have long been underfunded.

There## was a 2021 study that found just 1 percent of# health care research and innovation is invested## in female-specific conditions outside of# oncology, just 1 percent.

Why is that?

DR. ANITA ZAIDI: Yes, so that's# a really good question, Amna.

It's -- there's several reasons.# There is a systemic issue, structural,## in medicine where the male body has been# the default body.

And so the assumption is## that whatever works for men also works# for women.

But there are fundamental## biological differences between men and# women that need different solutions.

And two is that many areas such as pregnancy# are considered very high risk for research.## And so often the thing has been you leave# pregnant women out of a lot of clinical## trials.

And what that has resulted in is# the situation where we actually now don't## have medicines that we can use if a# pregnant woman develops a problem.

A very big example of this,# which is a problem that women,## pregnant women, face around the world# is preeclampsia, which is hypertension## during pregnancy.

Preeclampsia has no# treatment anywhere around the world.

AMNA NAWAZ: There's also been reports that# look at how the money invested in women's## health pays dividends more broadly in society.# Is this just about investing in women's health?

DR. ANITA ZAIDI: Well, so when you work in# low-resource environments like I have worked, you## very quickly see the connection between women's# health, children's health, and family health.

And so I would say one of the most profound# lessons I learned by working in communities## is how children cannot thrive where women are# not thriving.

And those things are extremely## closely related.

And, in fact, if we want to# decrease child mortality around the world,## you really need to focus on women's health.

AMNA NAWAZ: We're also speaking at a time when you# have seen the U.S. government pull back from a lot## of foreign aid funding it was doing, dismantling# health programs right here in the U.S. and making## it harder, a lot of people argue, to access things# like family planning and maternal health care.

How much did all of that inform# this investment right now?

DR. ANITA ZAIDI: So they're not connected.

I would call this investment a foundational# pillar of the Gender Equal.. the Gates Foundation.

And I'm just really# proud to be able to share this commitment.## It's the largest commitment that# the foundation has ever made to## any particular area of R&D.

And we chose# the five years for a good reason as well.

One is that I think that this is# a unique opportunity to accelerate## progress for women's health, because# so many A.I.

has made so much faster## progress possible.

And two is that it's# a short enough time that I want to hold## myself accountable to be able to deliver# on the promise.

So that's the five years.

No foundation or groups of foundations can## match the funding that the U.S. government has# historically provided for fighting disease,## hunger, and poverty around the world.# And our hope is that this investment## can catalyze attention and interest from# the private sector and from philanthropy.

AMNA NAWAZ: You have called this# $2.5 billion just a drop in the## bucket.

To meet the need that's# out there, what needs to happen?

DR. ANITA ZAIDI: Yes, so it seems like# a big number.

And it is a big number,## $2.5 billion for the next five years# for women's health innovations.

But for what the need is, it's a drop.

It really# is a drop in the bucket.

And we really are## hoping that this is the -- this announcement# sparks interest from a lot of other funders,## innovators, private philanthropy, private sector## to come in and see that this is not just# the right thing to do, but there's a## tremendous opportunity for coming up with new# solutions in a very exciting area of science.

AMNA NAWAZ: That is Dr. Anita Zaidi, the president## of the Gates Foundation's# Gender Equality Division.

Dr. Zaidi, thank you.

Such a# pleasure to speak with you.

DR. ANITA ZAIDI: Same here.# Thank you so much, Amna.