Etienne-Émile Baulieu: A Life of Controversy, Compassion, and Courage Ends at 98

By Adélékè O. Ọláolúwa (Olúọmọ)

The world has lost one of its most influential and debated scientists—Professor Étienne-Émile Baulieu, the French biochemist and medical researcher best known for his role in developing the abortion pill RU-486, passed away at the age of 98.

To some, he was a liberator. To others, a controversial figure. But above all, Baulieu was a scientist who believed that medicine should serve humanity—even when the questions it confronts are difficult, deeply personal, and morally charged.

Born in 1926 in Paris, he rose through the ranks of academia and medical research, dedicating his career to the study of hormones and human reproduction. His most widely recognized—and widely debated—achievement came in the 1980s when he helped develop mifepristone, a drug that would allow for the medical termination of early pregnancies.

This scientific milestone was hailed in many circles as a revolutionary advancement for women’s health and reproductive freedom. Millions of women around the world have since accessed it as a safer, less invasive alternative to surgical abortion, especially in cases of health risk, sexual assault, or personal crisis.

Yet, the story is far from one-dimensional.
Across many religious and traditional societies, particularly in Africa and parts of the Global South, Baulieu’s legacy evokes strong emotions—ranging from moral concern to outright condemnation. To some, his work is seen not as a liberation but as a tragedy, an open door to what they believe is the devaluation of human life and the erosion of spiritual values.

A common sentiment echoed online shortly after his passing captures this tension:
“After killing many, he later dies. An African man will tell you he’s gone to hellfire.”
“I hope they will bury all his drugs with him—they’ve caused havoc in our society.”
“Bad people dey last o… God must surely punish his soul… though he saved some kids from suffering too.”

These views may sound harsh to some, but they speak to a deep cultural and religious reverence for life, rooted in beliefs that life begins at conception and that only God gives and takes life. In many communities, particularly in Africa, pregnancy is not only a biological event but a spiritual journey—one tied to purpose, destiny, and communal heritage.

And yet, even among those who disapprove of his work, there’s an acknowledgement that Baulieu’s contributions may have helped in tragic and complex cases—where young girls, rape victims, or women with life-threatening conditions faced unimaginable choices. In such instances, the very pill some condemn also quietly saved lives by preventing unsafe, illegal abortions and giving women a second chance at life.

It’s in this uneasy intersection between science and morality that Baulieu’s legacy truly resides. He never pretended to have all the answers. Rather, he believed science had a duty to create options, not dictate decisions. In one of his interviews, he once remarked, “I didn’t make a moral decision. I made a medical one. It is up to society and individuals to make the moral choices.”
As tributes and criticisms flood in from around the globe, one thing remains clear: Étienne-Émile Baulieu was a man who touched a raw nerve in society. His name may not be widely known on the streets, but the effects of his work have reached homes, clinics, villages, and cities around the world.

In death, as in life, he remains a figure that sparks debate—between health and faith, freedom and tradition, science and the soul.

May history remember him for all that he was: a man of his time who dared to ask difficult questions, offer uncomfortable answers, and challenge the world to think deeply about the meaning of life, choice, and responsibility.