WHO issues First Global Guidelines to Improve Access to Fertility Care
The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its first-ever global guideline focused on making fertility care safer, more equitable, and affordable worldwide. With an estimated 1 in 6 people of reproductive age experiencing infertility at some point in their lives, the WHO emphasizes the growing need for accessible and effective care.
Currently, access to fertility services is severely limited, and often financially prohibitive. In many nations, individuals must pay entirely out-of-pocket for testing and treatment, with a single IVF cycle potentially costing more than an entire year’s income.
“Infertility is a meaningful, yet frequently enough overlooked, public health and equity issue,” stated Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Millions struggle with this challenge, facing financial hardship, unproven treatments, or the heartbreaking choice between family and financial stability. We urge countries to adopt these guidelines to provide affordable,respectful,and scientifically sound care to those who need it.”
The thorough guideline offers 40 recommendations to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility. It prioritizes cost-effective solutions and advocates for integrating fertility care into national health systems and funding models.
Key recommendations include:
* Prevention & Education: Increased investment in education about fertility, risk factors (like STIs and tobacco use), and healthy lifestyle choices for individuals and couples planning pregnancies.
* Accessible Diagnosis & Treatment: Clear clinical pathways for diagnosing and treating common causes of infertility,progressing from simpler interventions like timing intercourse to more complex options like IUI and IVF,guided by patient preferences.
* Psychosocial support: Recognizing the emotional impact of infertility – including potential for depression, anxiety, and isolation – the guideline stresses the importance of readily available mental health support.
* Equity & Rights: Grounding fertility care in gender equality and reproductive rights, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.
The WHO encourages countries to tailor these recommendations to their specific contexts and track progress through collaboration between health ministries, professional organizations, civil society, and patient groups.
“The prevention and treatment of infertility must be grounded in gender equality and reproductive rights,” said Dr. Pascale allotey, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing and the United Nations’ Special Program on Human reproduction (HRP). “Empowering people to make informed choices about their reproductive lives is a health imperative and a matter of social justice.”
