World Health Organization: Infertility Affects One in Six People

The World Health Organization highlighted in new guidelines published today (Friday) that infertility has become one of the most neglected health challenges, confirming that the issue affects one in six people of reproductive age worldwide, while millions of them lack accessible or affordable care.

The organization explained that infertility treatment services remain out of reach for many, as most countries rely on patients to pay the full costs, which places couples under significant financial burdens that can reach, in some countries, the cost of a cycle of in vitro fertilization equivalent to double the average annual income of a family.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the organization's director-general, stated that infertility represents a major health challenge that governments neglect to address seriously, adding that millions of men and women live this suffering in silence, wavering between achieving the dream of parenthood or maintaining their financial stability, often resorting to unproven treatments due to their lower costs.

The organization confirms that the definition of infertility is based on the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of regular sexual intercourse without the use of contraception, noting that treatment is not limited to in vitro fertilization but also includes specialized guidance provided by primary care workers, such as quitting smoking and improving lifestyle.

The new guidelines include 40 recommendations emphasizing the need to provide fertility services more equitably and safely, alongside enhancing awareness of factors affecting reproduction, especially age, and providing psychological support for those facing severe social pressures.