9 June 2025- In a significant move to strengthen women’s health systems across the globe, UNFPA and key partners officially launched the Nairobi Hub of the WomenX Collective at the Aga Khan University Auditorium on Monday, 9 June 2025. The event marks a strategic milestone in the global effort to close persistent gaps in health care for women and girls, particularly in the Global South.

WomenX, an initiative spearheaded by UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, supports locally led innovations that enhance access to care. It does this by fostering collaboration among governments, health experts, investors, and innovators. The Nairobi Hub joins the existing Berlin Hub, launched in October 2024, as part of an expanding network of innovation centres designed to accelerate progress in women’s health and gender equity.

The Nairobi Hub is being established through a strategic partnership between UNFPA, the Government of Kenya, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and Aga Khan University. According to the partners, this new hub will focus on scaling up impactful technologies, developing new service delivery models, and unlocking financing tools that address the specific needs of women and girls in diverse contexts.

Dr Natalia Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA, highlighted the urgency of the initiative. “Every minute, at least two women die globally from breast or cervical cancer, or from pregnancy-related complications due to inequitable access to healthcare,” she said. “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 financial commitments already secured from international donors such as the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and Organon & Co., the WomenX Collective aims to raise 100 million US dollars in catalytic investment by 2030. This funding is expected to avert over 10 million unintended pregnancies, prevent 3.2 million unsafe abortions, and save at least 21,000 maternal lives.

The Nairobi Hub will be well positioned to harness the vibrant health and technology ecosystem in Kenya and across the African continent. By bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs and policymakers, the hub aims to generate evidence-based solutions and sustainable financing strategies that can be scaled regionally and globally.

Dr Nigina Muntean, Chief of the Innovation and Transformation Branch at UNFPA, underscored the transformative potential of the initiative. “The Nairobi Hub is more than a location. In close collaboration with the WomenX Berlin Hub, it’s a commitment to drive lasting change through the power of women-centred innovation. Every dollar invested today unlocks exponential returns for future generations,” she said.

The launch event brought together stakeholders from across sectors, including donors, government officials, innovators and public health leaders. These actors were called upon to make bold commitments and invest in solutions that put women’s health at the centre of development priorities. According to the organisers, improving women’s health is not only a moral imperative but also a vital driver of social and economic progress.

With Africa increasingly recognised as a global powerhouse for innovation, the Nairobi Hub is set to play a leading role in shaping the future of women’s health. As UNFPA and its partners reaffirm their commitment, the WomenX Collective represents a growing global movement towards equity, innovation and dignity in healthcare for every woman and girl.

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