DM Monitoring
UNITED NATIONS: One in six people worldwide is affected by infertility and access to affordable care is insufficient, the World Health Organization (WHO), a Geneva-based UN Agency, has warned in a major new report.
Infertility, which affects men and women, is a reproductive condition defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.
To compile the new in-depth estimates, the WHO analyzed all relevant studies on infertility from 1990 to 2021. The research shows that 17.5 per cent of the adult population experience infertility in their lifetime. The UN health agency says the rates are “comparable” for high, middle and low-income countries.
“The report reveals an important truth – infertility does not discriminate,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said in a statement.
“The sheer proportion of people affected shows the need to widen access to fertility care and ensure this issue is no longer sidelined in health research and policy, so that safe, effective and affordable ways to attain parenthood are available.”
WHO says that despite the prevalence of infertility, diagnosis and treatment – such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) – remain underfunded and patients find themselves priced out.
Many have no choice but to cover the costs out of pocket, often with devastating consequences.
