Infertility affects one in six people according to the WHO

"One in six people worldwide is affected by the inability to have a child at some point in life. This is no matter where they live or what resources they have," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the foreword to a new report.

According to the WHO, it is a real "major health problem", affecting 17.8% of the adult population in rich countries and 16.5% in low- and middle-income countries.

"This report, the first of its kind in ten years, reveals an important fact: infertility does not discriminate," said Dr Tedros.

The report does not look at the medical, environmental or other causes of infertility, nor on its evolution over time, but gives a first overview of its prevalence by analyzing all relevant studies from 1990 to 2021.

It shows that "infertility affects a large part of the world's population" since the question concerns about 17.5% of the adult population.

"Infertility affects millions of people" and yet, Dr. Tedros pointed out, "the subject is still understudied and solutions remain underfunded and are inaccessible to many due to high costs, social stigma and limited availability."

At a reproductive medicine clinic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in May 2021 © Sam REEVES / AFP/Archives

"The sheer proportion of those affected shows the need to expand access to fertility care and ensure that this issue is no longer set aside in health research and policy, so that safe, effective and affordable ways to achieve parenthood are available to those who want them," he asked.

"Male or female reproductive system"

Infertility is, according to the WHO, "a disease of the male or female reproductive system, defined by the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular, unprotected sex. This can lead to major distress, stigma and financial hardship.

"Procreation is accompanied by significant social pressure. In some countries, pregnancy remains essential to the perception of femininity and what a couple is. Failure is often stigmatized," said Dr Pascale Allotey, WHO's director of the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health, presenting the report to journalists.

At a reproductive medicine clinic in Nablus, West Bank, in January 2021 © Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP/Archives

"People with infertility problems often suffer from anxiety and depression" and there is also "an increased risk of domestic violence that is associated with infertility," she added.

WHO calls on countries to develop solutions for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infertility – including assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization.

"We want to make sure we break the silence on infertility, ensuring that it is included in sexual and reproductive health policies, services and funding," WHO's Dr Gitau Mburu told reporters.

Although the new report presents data attesting to the "high global prevalence" of infertility, it highlights a lack of data in many countries, including Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia.

It calls on countries to ensure that more data on infertility, disaggregated by age and cause, is available to help quantify the problem, as well as who needs fertility care and how the risks can be reduced.

© 2023 AFP