Doctors seek low-cost IVF for Africa's infertile

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - Doctors aim to develop a low-cost version of "test-tube" baby technology, which helps tens of thousands of infertile couples each year in rich countries but is far too costly for the developing world.

More than 80 million couples suffer from infertility worldwide and the vast majority live in poor countries, where the issue is a crisis for millions.

The problem is particularly acute in Africa, where infections are a common cause of tubal blockages in women, leading to high rates of infertility and social isolation.

"The stigma of infertility in Africa is great -- much more so than in the Western world," Ian Cooke, emeritus professor at the University of Sheffield, told Reuters.

"It is often extreme because a woman may be divorced and then rejected by the community with no livelihood, and there are well-documented cases of suicide as a consequence."

Africa as a region has the world's highest fertility rate, which is often viewed as a problem, yet it also has the highest infertility rate, Cooke said.

Fertility experts will meet in Arusha, Tanzania, this weekend under the auspices of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology to discuss the challenges at the first conference on infertility in developing countries.

Cooke hopes the meeting will kick-start a pilot project in Africa. His goal is to bring the cost of a cycle of IVF (in vitro fertilisation) down to just $100 (50 pounds), by using far fewer drugs and cutting back on costly hospital equipment.