Namibian President Rejects Gates Foundation Birth Control Trial Proposal

Namibia’s President, Her Excellency Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has rejected a proposal from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct trials of a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) designed to prevent pregnancy for up to eight years.

Speaking in an official statement, President Nandi-Ndaitwah described the proposed trials as a “profound injustice” to the Namibian people and “humanity at large.”

The hormonal IUD in question is intended as a long-term contraceptive method, capable of preventing pregnancy for up to eight years. The Gates Foundation had reportedly sought to carry out the trials within Namibia, a country 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,” the President said. She added that “any attempt to hinder or suppress the growth of human potential in Namibia constitutes a grave injustice to our people and their future.”

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been involved in global health initiatives for decades, often focusing on reproductive health and family planning. The rejection comes amid ongoing debates in Africa over foreign-led health trials and their ethical implications.

The Gates Foundation has not yet issued an official response to President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s statement. The Namibian government maintains that any public health initiative in the country must align with its values, sovereignty, and long-term development goals.