Organization warns of the need to expand access to treatments and reduce the cost of artificial fertilization for lower-income populations. One in six people in the world suffers from infertility, estimates a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) released on Monday ( 03/03). The research is based on the evaluation of 133 of more than 12 thousand studies carried out worldwide from 1990 to 2021. According to the survey, about 17.8% of adults in high-income countries experienced infertility, while 16.5% of adults in low- and middle-income countries were affected. However, people in poorer countries spend a higher proportion of their income on fertility treatments than in richer countries. Access to treatment According to WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the proportion of people worldwide affected by infertility reveals “the need to expand access to fertility treatments and ensure that the subject is no longer left aside in research and in health policy”. “So that safe, effective and accessible ways of obtaining paternity are available to those who seek it”, he underlined. Infertility prevention, diagnosis and treatment remain underfunded and inaccessible due to high costs, social stigma and limited availability, according to the report. WHO defines infertility as a disease of the male or female reproductive system that translates into the inability to achieve a pregnancy after a year or more of unprotected sexual intercourse. “This can cause significant suffering, stigma and financial hardship, affecting people’s mental and psychosocial well-being,” the WHO said. “Catastrophic costs” “Millions of people face catastrophic health costs after seeking treatment for infertility”, warned the Director for Research in Sexual and Reproductive Health of the WHO, Pascale Allotey, considering that “better policies and public funding can significantly improve access to treatments and protect the poorest families”. WHO points out that high costs often prevent people from accessing treatments. In another study, published in the specialized journal Human Reproduction Open and funded by the WHO, researchers concluded that the medical costs paid in low- and middle-income countries for IVF treatment tend to be higher in relation to the average annual income of the population. . md/bl (Lusa, DPA, AFP) 
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