Mbabane- Namibian President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has firmly rejected a proposal by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct clinical trials of a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) in the country, citing national sovereignty, population concerns, and ethical issues.
The proposed long-acting contraceptive, designed to prevent pregnancy for up to eight years, is part of a US$2.5 billion initiative by the Gates Foundation aimed at improving women’s health in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries. The device is already slated for launch in Kenya, Nigeria, and potentially India.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah, Africa’s first female elected Head of State, condemned the trial as an affront to Namibia’s dignity and a threat to its future. “Namibia is a nation of modest size, with a population of just over 3 million,” she stated. “If any country should consider measures to curb population growth, it ought to be nations like the United States, with over 347 million people.”
She raised concerns about the targeting of African nations for such trials, pointing to historical injustices and foreign-led population control efforts. “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 hormonal IUD, which releases progestin into the uterus to thicken cervical mucus and prevent sperm from reaching the egg, is intended to offer women more discreet and long-term contraceptive options. Dr. Anita Zaidi, Head of the Foundation’s Gender Equality Division, emphasized that nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide are unplanned due to limited access to family planning, male interference, and side effects from existing methods.
Namibia, one of the least densely populated nations in the world, has a history of resisting foreign-led reproductive programs. The President reiterated the need for informed consent, transparency, and respect for national autonomy in healthcare initiatives.
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