By Franca Ofili
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on countries to make fertility care safer, fairer, and more affordable in its first-ever global guideline for preventing, diagnosing, and treating infertility.
The organisation made the announcement Friday, highlighting infertility as a major yet overlooked public health challenge affecting one in six people of reproductive age globally at some point in their lives.
“While demand for services is rising worldwide, access to care remains severely limited.
“In many countries, infertility tests and treatments are funded largely out-of-pocket, often resulting in catastrophic financial expenditures.”
“In some settings, even a single round of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) can cost double the average annual household income, making care inaccessible for many families.”
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, described infertility as a global equity issue, saying millions face this journey alone, often priced out of care or forced to choose between financial security and parenthood.
“We encourage more countries to adapt this guideline, giving more people the possibility to access affordable, respectful, and science-based care,” Ghebreyesus said, noting the guideline included 40 recommendations to strengthen infertility prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
He said the guideline promoted cost-effective options at every stage, advocating integration of fertility care into national health strategies, services, and financing, while emphasising the psychosocial impacts of infertility on mental well-being.
“Infertility, defined by the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, can cause significant distress, stigma, and financial hardship,” Ghebreyesus said, urging investment in prevention, education, and early fertility awareness.
He stressed addressing leading infertility risk factors such as untreated sexually transmitted infections and tobacco use, while recommending healthy diet, physical activity, and lifestyle interventions for individuals planning or attempting pregnancy.
“The guideline outlines clinical pathways for diagnosing male and female infertility and provides guidance on progressively advancing treatment, from advice on fertile periods and lifestyle changes to intrauterine insemination and IVF, while considering patient preferences.”
Recognising the emotional toll, WHO emphasised ongoing psychosocial support for those affected, saying successful implementation would require collaboration across ministries of health, professional societies, civil society, and patient groups.
“Implementation should align with comprehensive, rights-based approaches to sexual and reproductive health, empowering individuals to make informed, personal decisions about whether and when to have children,” Ghebreyesus said.
Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, said infertility prevention and treatment must be grounded in gender equality and reproductive rights.
Allotey added, “Empowering people to make informed choices about their reproductive lives is a health imperative and a matter of social justice.”
He said gaps remained and future guidelines would cover fertility preservation, third-party reproduction, and pre-existing medical conditions. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)