Making fertility care fairer: WHO issued first global infertility guideline

The World Health Organisation (WHO) called on countries to make fertility care safer, fairer and more affordable as it released its first-ever global guideline for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Affecting an estimated one in six people of reproductive age, infertility remained a major public health and equity issue worldwide. In many countries, access to care was limited, with most tests and treatments funded out-of-pocket. In some settings, a single round of IVF even costs double the average annual household income, pushing many into financial hardship.

The guideline set out 40 recommendations designed to strengthen prevention, diagnosis and treatment, urging countries to integrate fertility care into national health strategies and financing systems. The document promoted people-centred, evidence-based care and highlighted the emotional toll of infertility, which often led to distress, stigma and social isolation.

It recommended early information on fertility, healthier lifestyles, and the prevention of key risk factors such as untreated sexually transmitted infections and tobacco use. The guideline also detailed clinical pathways for diagnosing biological causes of infertility in men and women and advised progressing from simple management strategies to more advanced treatments such as intrauterine insemination or IVF.

Recognising gaps in current evidence, WHO called for continued research, noting that future editions would address fertility preservation, third-party reproduction and the impact of pre-existing medical conditions.

Source: World Health Organisation