World IVF Day is observed on July 25, drawing attention to the pressing issue of infertility, which has become a significant public health concern affecting numerous couples worldwide. Unfortunately, only a minuscule percentage of those affected seek medical evaluation, primarily due to limited awareness, lack of access, and the high cost of treatments. Additionally, societal stigma, misconceptions, and delayed diagnosis further compound the burden of infertility, underscoring the need for greater awareness and support on this important day.
Abhishek Aggrawal, Chief Business Officer of Birla Fertility & IVF, offers valuable insights into the challenges surrounding infertility and the transformative role played by in vitro fertilization (IVF).
What is the magnitude of the problem of infertility and its major challenges?
Infertility has become a major public health concern. Globally and in India, one in six married couples are impacted by this. Three crore couples in India suffer from infertility. Unfortunately, less than one percent of those affected seek medical evaluation for their condition, due to lack of awareness, access, and affordability of treatment. Social stigma attached to infertility, myths like holding women solely responsible for conception and unwillingness to acknowledge male infertility are some of the key challenges. In addition, infertility is often not prioritised as a critical health condition, leading to delay in diagnosis and treatment, thereby increasing the disease burden.
What are the factors that contribute to increasing infertility?
Changing social structures such as late marriages and delayed family planning by couples, increase in lifestyle related issues such as high BMI, early diabetes, smoking/alcohol consumption and stress levels and inadequate focus on overall well-being contributes to increasing the risk of infertility. While infertility can be caused due to several factors, there is a tendency to consider it as an individual or personal failure. The financial burden of treatment can be stressful as well. The need of the hour is to drive awareness around infertility by eradicating social stigma and misconceptions and make comprehensive treatments including IVF available, affordable and accessible.
How has IVF (in vitro fertilisation) been a game changer in treatment?
IVF has opened doors for couples who have been struggling with infertility. IVF has been a game changer for India. According to a report by Ernst and Young, the IVF industry is growing rampantly with annual cycles exceeding 2.5 million globally. India, however, performs only 200,000 to 250,000 IVF cycles per year. Considering that the Indian Fertility Industry is projected to reach $1,453 million by 2027, with a capacity of conducting 500,000 to 600,000 IVF cycles, the future looks promising and bright. The increasing success rates of IVF, currently at 60% year-to-date, contribute significantly to this growth. This positive trend will further drive the demand for the IVF sector.
What are the regulatory reforms to strengthen IVF?
Ever since the first IVF baby arrived 45 years back, changing the history of infertility medicine, the procedure has been a ray of hope for childless couples, enabling them to have a biological child. It works as a safe and effective option when contemporary treatments fail. Policy interventions such as The Surrogacy Act and the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Act cover the entire range of fertility treatments including IVF. It focuses on bringing a more defined structure and standardization of clinical treatments to improve patient safety. The legislation empowers patients by making more information available for them to make choices about their treatment with full knowledge and understanding.
How can IVF treatment be made widely available and accessible?
To address gaps in the affordability of IVF solutions and make them available to a larger section of society, a transparent and ‘right pricing’ approach for patients can help. Further, improving success rates as medical technology progresses can result in decreasing the cost of treatment.
With sperm quality around the world showing a 50% decline over the past three decades, it is anticipated that much larger number of babies will be conceived through IVF in the days to come. IVF now accounts for the conception of over 5% of all new-borns in some European countries where it is either more affordable or is covered by insurance. In India too, a shift in mindset is anticipated which will lead to more couples opting for this safe and effective solution to infertility. With an increasing burden of infertility in the country, IVF needs to be made affordable to increase the accessibility of this solution to one and all.
