Fertility in focus: Redefining care through science and access

In the UAE and around the world, declining fertility rates are prompting both the public and private sectors to act. Lifestyle shifts, delayed family planning, and increasing health conditions like obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are contributing to lower birth rates. At the same time, social taboos and misinformation continue to delay early conversations around fertility, with many couples seeking help later than is ideal.

The desire to start a family may be universal, yet infertility affects one in six couples in the UAE. This is a complex challenge that goes beyond access to treatment. It’s about creating an ecosystem that supports early education, reduces stigma, and empowers people to make informed decision about their reproductive health.

A global and regional health priority

Across the region and globally, infertility is increasingly recognised as a public health challenge with far reaching social and economic implications. This growing awareness is encouraging policymakers, healthcare providers, and the private sector to work together toward more inclusive and proactive fertility care.

In addition to medical access, raising fertility awareness is also about equipping people with the knowledge to make timely decisions, and ensuring systems are in place to support them through every stage of their journey.

Science driving personalisation

As science advances, so must the systems that support it. Fertility care is becoming more personalised and effective, thanks to smarter technologies, digital tools, and evolving treatment protocols. Around the world, reproductive medicine experts are increasingly focused on how tailored hormonal treatments and AI-supported planning are helping improve outcomes for patients with complex fertility needs.

Innovation in fertility care today is about more than just lab-based breakthroughs. Across the healthcare ecosystem, there’s a growing focus on helping people understand their fertility earlier in life through better access to screening, education, and proactive consultation.

Personalised care also means supporting people at the start of their fertility journey, not only when challenges arise. Fertility assessments, cycle tracking, and egg freezing, are increasingly viewed as proactive planning tools that empower individuals to make informed choices before delays make success harder to achieve.

Lifestyle factors are another critical part of the fertility conversation. Research continues to show that nutrition, weight management, sleep and mental wellbeing all influence reproductive health. Many fertility specialists now advocate integrated care models that consider these aspects alongside medical treatment.

From innovation to access

Innovation must also be matched by access. Fertility treatments remain expensive, and insurance coverage is still limited in many parts of the region. To truly shift the landscape, greater investment is needed not only in technology and infrastructure, but also in affordability, education, and awareness.

Reshaping fertility care into something that is not just more effective, but more equitable, requires the evolution of policy, systems, and partnerships, as much as it does scientific advances. The future of fertility care in the UAE and GCC depends on our collective ability to bridge the gap between what’s possible and what’s accessible.

Empowerment, empathy, and education must lead the way. With the right ecosystem, one that reduces stigma, expands access, and puts the individual at the centre, fertility care can become more than just treatment. It can be a source of hope for generations to come.

Ahmed Fadl is General Manager, Merck Gulf