Merck, a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials, has announced the start of “More than a Mother” campaign as part of Merck Fertility Capacity Advancement Program, in collaboration with University of Nairobi and Kenya Women Parliamentary Association.
The consequences of infertility are much more dramatic in developing countries and can create more wide ranging social and cultural problems compared to Western societies, particularly for women. A central difficulty associated with infertility is that it can transform from an acute, private distress into a harsh, public stigma with complex and devastating consequences.
In some cultures, childless women still suffer discrimination, stigma and ostracism. An inability to have a child or to become pregnant can result in being greatly isolated, disinherited or assaulted. This may result in divorce or physical and psychological violence.
Prof. Koigi Kamau of the University of Nairobi said infertility affects men and women equally. Approximately one-third of cases of couple infertility is due to male factors, one-third to female factors and one-third relates to a combination of male and female factors or has no identifiable cause.
Fertility is a shared Responsibility” initiative was launched to raise awareness about male infertility and encourage men to acknowledge and openly discuss their infertility issues and strive for a team approach to family building with their partners.
ALSO READ: UGANDA’S UGLIEST MAN NOW FATHER OF EIGHT
The programme will not only provide medical education and awareness for medical students and general practitioners but also support governments to define policies to improve access to safe and effective fertility care, address the need for interventions to reduce stigmatization and social suffering of infertile women and raise awareness about male infertility and the necessity for a team approach to family building among couples.
Through this campaign, Merck will address the key challenges that are associated with resource-constrained settings such as prevention of infertility, education & self-development, assisted reproductive technology (ART)&in vitro fertilisation (IVF) regulation, geographic barriers, reproductive rights and over-population and limited resources arguments.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) data, more than 180 million couples in developing countries (which is one in every four couples) suffer from primary or secondary infertility. In Sub-Saharan Africa, infertility is caused by infections in over 85% of women compared to 33% worldwide, which emphasizes the importance of infertility prevention programs in Africa.
During her meeting with University of Nairobi and Kenya Women Parliamentary Association to kick off the campaign, Belén Garijo, Member of the Executive Board of Merck and CEO Merck Healthcare, emphasized “Providing access to infertility care is important, but it is even more important to intervene to decrease stigmatization and social suffering arising from this condition.”
NEXT READ: WEDDING DRAMA AS WOMAN STORMS CHURCH
