Infertility affects one in six people worldwide

The World Health Organisation(WHO) revealed in a report on Tuesday that one in six people worldwide is affected by infertility and there is inadequate access to affordable care for this issue.

Infertility, which affects men and women, is a reproductive condition defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected s3xual intercourse.

According to the report signed by WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, it analysed all relevant studies on infertility from 1990 to 2021 with the results revealing 17.5 per cent of the adult population experience infertility in their lifetime.

“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.”