WHO issues first guideline, seeks affordable fertility treatment

The World Health Organisation has issued its first-ever guideline for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infertility, calling on countries to overhaul how fertility care is delivered and financed.

The guideline lands as infertility affects an estimated 1 in 6 people of reproductive age worldwide, even as access to care remains limited and often financially crippling, the world agency noted.

It disclosed in a Friday release on its website that in many countries, fertility tests and treatments are largely out-of-pocket, with a single round of IVF costing “double the average annual household income” in some settings.

“Infertility is one of the most overlooked public health challenges of our time and a major equity issue globally.

“Millions face this journey alone – priced out of care, pushed toward cheaper but unproven treatments, or forced to choose between their hopes of having children and their financial security.

“We encourage more countries to adapt this guideline, giving more people the possibility to access affordable, respectful, and science-based care,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus.

WHO’s guideline sets out 40 recommendations aimed at strengthening prevention, diagnosis and treatment while promoting integration of fertility care into national health strategies, services and financing.

Cost-effective options, others

It emphasises cost-effective options and people-centred, evidence-based care.

Infertility—defined as failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sex—can lead to significant stigma, financial strain and psychological distress.

The guideline calls for “greater investment in prevention,” including information on fertility and infertility in schools and primary care, as well as action on leading risk factors such as untreated sexually transmitted infections and tobacco use.

It recommends lifestyle interventions including healthy diet, physical activity and smoking cessation for individuals and couples attempting pregnancy.

Our correspondent who, on Saturday, perused the release report that clinical pathways outlined in the guideline cover diagnosis of common biological causes of male and female infertility and describe how treatment may progress from guidance on fertile periods to more complex interventions such as intrauterine insemination or IVF, taking into account clinical findings and patient preferences.

It also highlights the need for “ongoing psychosocial support” due to the emotional burden infertility can impose.

Countries are encouraged to adapt the recommendations to local contexts and monitor progress, working across ministries, professional bodies, civil society and patient groups.

WHO says implementation should align with rights-based sexual and reproductive health approaches that support informed decisions about whether and when to have children.

“The prevention and treatment of infertility must be grounded in gender equality and reproductive rights.

“Empowering people to make informed choices about their reproductive lives is a health imperative and a matter of social justice,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing and the United Nations’ Special Programme on Human Reproduction (HRP).

While comprehensive, the guideline, however, acknowledges gaps in current evidence and areas for further research.

WHO says “upcoming editions of the guideline are expected to cover issues such as fertility preservation, third-party reproduction, and the impact of pre-existing medical conditions.”

culled from punch