An international symposium of infertility has opened at Serena hotel this morning. The symposium is meant to discuss issues related to infertility in couples around the world.
According to the World health organization WHO, 10-15% of married couples across the world, face infertility problems.
Uganda has now joined other countries to establish ways in which affected couples can be helped.
The ministry of health is now pushing for the enactment of a law that will make surrogacy a recognized and acceptable mode of childbearing. The ministry has also established a fertility centre at Mulago hospital, where all these services will be offered.
Dr. Sarah Opendi Achieng, the state minister of health says government is yet to decide whether couples will be charged for these services, or if they will be offered free of service.
Surrogacy practice involves an agreement where a woman agrees to carry a pregnancy for another person and surrenders all parenting rights and responsibilities upon childbirth. Several refer to it as the practice of renting wombs and selling eggs and sperms. It is common in developed countries.
But, surrogacy remains unregulated and not socially recognized among almost all communities across Uganda. Dr. Opendi however argues that it is important to set up laws that will regulate the practice, which comes as a relief to couples that are battling with infertility problems.
The minister says the laws regulating fertility treatment are coming at the right time when construction of the highly specialized women hospital in Mulago is complete. According to Opendi, the proposed law is before the first drafting parliamentary council.
“Regulations will cater for the donation of sperm and eggs at fertility treatment centres” she said.
Currently, there are five fertility centres in the country all based in urban areas. But couples suffering from infertility can either adopt or go for fertility treatments like in-vitro fertilization IVF that come at a very high cost of not less than 20 million Shillings.
The law is expected to also regulate the activities that take place at fertility clinics in the country. Pricing of fertility treatments like IVF is also expected to reduce when the law comes into effect.
Infertility in women according to scientific data, caused is by ovulation disorders, uterine and cervical abnormalities, fallopian tubes damage or blockage due to untreated sexually transmitted infections, early menopause before the age of 40 and cancer.
While some men think that infertility only affects women, today 50 percent of the infertility cases in the country are contributed by men."
In men, infertility is caused by abnormal sperm production, premature ejaculation, cystic fibrosis, blockage in testicles, or damaged reproductive organs, exposure to chemicals or radiation, cancer, smoking, alcohol consumption, use of drugs and steroids.
