Stakeholders call for government intervention in fertility treatment

At a time when Kenya's fertility rates are on a decline, stakeholders have called for the government's interventions to reverse the trend.

Many men and women are reeling under the weight of infertility and the stigma and rejection associated with it.

Francis Mutegi, a local, confesses that he has been trying for a baby for the last three years, in vain.

Mr Mutegi, a small scale farmer at Chuka, says he does not know if it is him or his partner who has a 'problem'.

"I have been going at it night and day, doing everything to have a baby. I eat traditional food and avoid alcohol and cigarettes like the plague, but my wife is yet to conceive. So we just decided to continue trying; maybe we will get pregnant when our good Lord decides," he says.

But he says what they have not considered is a fertility test.

"It has never occurred to me that I might be barren, or my wife is. Maybe we are not doing everything right. In any case, there are no medical facilities at Chuka offering fertility tests or treatment," he said.

He says if the situation persists they will consider travelling to Nairobi for the appropriate tests.

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"In the meantime, we will continue trying," he said.

Reproductive Health experts have said in view of the fact that many Kenyan couples are struggling with infertility and childlessness, there is need for government intervention.

Reproductive health specialists recently converged in Meru town for the Reproductive Health Symposium organised by Fertility Point, where the issue of accessibility and affordability of fertility treatment featured prominently.

Fertility Point Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dr Swapnil Shastri and Dr Nganga Maguzu, a gynaecologist and fertility specialist, said a big number of Kenyans were struggling with childlessness but, unfortunately, could not access treatment.

"In Kenya, and generally across the globe, one in every six couples are suffering from infertility," Dr Shastri said.

He said factors contributing to infertility included lifestyle issues and chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension which he said compromise reproductive health.

He said In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and pre-genetic testing and evaluation of patients cost a lot of money, which had disadvantaged the affected.

Since the services are available in a few cities in the country, many people in need of the services were unable to access them.

"Apart from accessibility (to fertility treatment), there is the issue of affordability. The travel cost is so high. Like from Mombasa to Nairobi, they have to use more than Sh100,000 for their travel and stay in Nairobi," Shastri said.

He said since many were unable to comfortably afford fertility treatment, Fertility Point had to partner with some insurance companies in the country.

Through this arrangement, some patients had been able to get the much-needed fertility services either through full coverage or partial coverage.

We also take care of the patients by allowing them to pay in instalments, Shastri revealed.

He said even though some patients had limited resources, Fertility Point had ensured it is possible to offer them the services.

Dr Maguzu said infertility was a growing problem in Kenya just like in the rest of the world but advances in medical technology and fertility treatment, including IVF, meant that many people trying to conceive were being treated successfully.

Several factors are causing this problem to increase, and foremost is lifestyle factors in which currently there is a growing number of people who are obese, smoking, and use. There are other factors such as sexually transmitted infections that end up affecting women and men, and end up in infertility," Maguzu said.

He added: "Apart from lifestyle factors and (sexual) infections, part of the infertility problem is genetic. Certain families or certain individuals can inherit genes that may make them infertile and this can happen in both men and women."

He said most people cannot access and afford IVF.

"For example, in Kenya, most IVF centres are located in a few big cities like Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. It leaves out so many people in the country who cannot access these services. But again, the services are provided at a very high cost so it leaves so many other citizens who are in the lower class."

Maguzu said: "My call to the government is to think how they can subsidise and finance this fertility treatment because it is a growing world problem, so that even lower-class citizens can access these services and end up having babies."