According to the World Health Organization, one in every six people worldwide suffers from infertility.
Infertility, which affects both men and women, is a reproductive condition defined by the inability to conceive after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.
A report signed by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday, April 4, examined all relevant studies on infertility from 1990 to 2021, revealing that 17.5% of the adult population experiences infertility at some point in their lives.
“The rates are “comparable” for high, middle and low-income countries,” Ghebreyesus said.
“The report reveals an important truth – infertility does not discriminate,”
“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.”
The report also revealed that despite the prevalence of infertility, diagnosis and treatment such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) remain underfunded.