London — Contraceptives are "one of the greatest anti-poverty innovations the world has ever known", philanthropist Melinda Gates said on Tuesday, calling for family planning to be a global priority. Access to birth control boosts economic productivity by allowing women to earn an income and leads to smaller families with more resources to spend on children’s health and education, Gates said. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was co-hosting an international summit in London on family planning, where donors are expected to raise at least $2.5bn to expand access to contraception. "Contraceptives empower women. And empowered women ... well, they transform societies," Gates said, according to an advance copy of her speech. The foundation will announce an additional $375m for family planning over the next four years. The summit comes at a critical time, with US President Donald Trump having said he will end funding to the UN Population Fund, the UN agency which deals with family planni...
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