Dr. Malcolm Potts, Champion of Contraceptive Access and Women’s Health, Passes at 90

On April 25, 2025, in Berkeley, California, the world lost Dr. Malcolm Potts, a trailblazer in global family planning and women's reproductive health. He had reached the age of 90.

In the 1960s, Potts, an obstetrician with training from Cambridge, rose to prominence as a key figure in the groundbreaking movement advocating for safe abortion and dependable contraception. In 1992, he took his mission to UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, where he made history as the inaugural Fred H. Bixby Endowed Chair in Population and Family Planning.

Potts envisioned a world where women were empowered, advocating for their access to contraception, safe abortion, and the autonomy to make reproductive choices. 

He advocated for initiatives that revolutionized reproductive health across the globe—from convincing an Ethiopian priest to allow birth control to conducting vasectomies at Indian train stations to engage apprehensive men. He played a significant role in broadening the availability of misoprostol, a vital medication in the fight against maternal mortality due to postpartum hemorrhage.

His leadership reached Thailand, where his initial family planning initiatives were pivotal in significantly reducing fertility rates, thereby supporting the nation's progress. 

As president of Family Health International in the U.S., Potts was instrumental in initiating groundbreaking AIDS prevention programs and maternal health studies that sparked transformative change worldwide.

Renowned for intertwining rigorous science with striking imagery, Potts notably scattered rice grains on television to depict the comparative risks of contraception against pregnancy. His unwavering commitment played a crucial role in transforming abortion laws in England and bringing attention to safer abortion techniques such as manual vacuum aspiration, which he regarded as his greatest accomplishment.

At UC Berkeley, Potts played a pivotal role in establishing the Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability, guiding and inspiring the next generation of global health leaders. He also played a pivotal role in founding OASIS, an organization dedicated to tackling maternal mortality and enhancing girls' education in the Sahel region of Africa.

"Malcolm's life's work reshaped the landscape of global reproductive health and human rights," remarked Dr. Michael C. Lu, dean of UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health.

Potts leaves a legacy of four children, three stepchildren, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Plans for a memorial are on the horizon.

In his memory, contributions can be directed to the School of Public Health Fund at UC Berkeley.