Infertility
What's new
Global consensus on pre-pregnancy care to reduce maternal and childhood mortality and morbidity
There is increasing realization that a gap exists in the continuum of care: A growing body of evidence is showing that pre-pregnancy care can increase the health and well-being of women and couples and improve subsequent pregnancy and child health outcomes. The place for pre-pregnancy care as part of an overall strategy to prevent maternal and childhood mortality and morbidity is described. Consensus was developed around a package of promotive, preventive and curative health interventions to be delivered in the context during both the pre-pregnancy and inter-pregnancy periods; and mechanisms are described for delivering the package through existing public health programmes in low- and middle-income countries to prevent maternal and childhood mortality and morbidity.
Infertility/subfertility-related health problems, problem behaviours and risk factors that contribute to maternal and childhood mortality and morbidity have been described, and evidence-based interventions to address these factors, as well as mechanisms of delivering them through existing public health programmes have been outlined.
New trends in infertility prevalence data
Provision of access for infertility care in Costa Rica
The Inter American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) voted in favor of provision of access for infertility care, specifically in vitro fertilization (IVF), when indicated for men and women in Costa Rica. The grounds for the IACHR decision were based upon non-discrimination against persons with disability (WHO-World Bank Disability report), the disproportionate effect (medical, psycho-social and mental health) on women, defining infertility as a disease of the reproductive health system (ICMART-WHO Glossary), and with reference to CEDAW and other reproductive health and rights documents which extend to providing access to diagnosis, management and interventions for sub-fertility and infertility. Due to the nature and deliberations of the IACHR, this decision supports reproductive rights and access to reproductive health – and specifically access to care for those with impaired fertility to attempt for a desired pregnancy when harboring a child wish. The Inter Americas Human Rights Court Decision 21 December 2012.
- Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos
- WHO-ICMART glossary
- Definitions and terminology
- National, regional, and global trends in infertility: a systematic analysis of 277 health surveys
- World report on disability
Contribution to the International Classification of Disease (ICD-11)
The ICMART-WHO Glossary has provided terminologies and definitions which have been incorporated and debated within the Beta version of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-11). The ICD is the standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes. This includes the analysis of the general health situation of population groups. It is used to monitor the incidence and prevalence of diseases and other health problems, to classify diseases and other health problems, and provide the basis for the compilation of national mortality and morbidity statistics by WHO Member States. It is used for reimbursement and resource allocation decision-making by countries.
