Africa-Press – Mauritius. A two-day course on Basic Training on Implementation of Assisted Reproduction targeting dedicated fertility healthcare professionals, was launched, this morning, in presence of the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, at the Dr A.
G. Jeetoo Hospital in Port-Louis. The aim is to provide a platform to share latest evidence-based practice based on international recommendations, and come up with recommendations at improving fertility services in the country.
Among the topics which will be discussed are: Ethical practice of assisted conception, Legal framework and the psychological impact of infertility, and Invitro fertilisation. In his address, the Health Minister stated that fertility affects millions of people and have a significant impact on families and community.
Approximately one in every six people of reproductive age experience infertility, he pointed out, adding that this can be attributed to several demographic factors such as age, tobacco and alcohol use, obesity and lack of physical exercise.
According to clinical evidence, he observed, age is a key determinant in male and female fertility and it is a well-established fact that one’s chances of conceiving diminish sharply after the age of 35.
As for Mauritius, he indicated that the fertility rate has dropped to 140 children per 100 couples, which is much lower than in European countries and far from the ideal rate of 210 children per 100 couples. From 2010 to 2022, he added, there has been a considerable decrease of crude birth rate from 11.8 percent to 9.2 percent.
In addition, Minister Jagutpal underlined that the proportion of mothers who delivered at the age of 35 years or more has increased from 10.4% in 2010 to 15.4% in 2020, which is an evidence, that people are choosing parenthood at a later stage in their lives.
“In order to ensure National Productivity, it is essential that we maintain our citizens in good health and that we encourage parents to conceive”, he stated. Several measures have been implemented by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to address infertility trend among our population.
These include: a fertility clinic at the SSRN Hospital to provide specialised services; an infertility register to identify risk factors; a preconception care as a new service in health centres.
Minister Jagutpal highlighted that the Ministry has also boosted the antenatal services with series of tools such as the Maternal and Child Health Hand Book which serves as a guide to encourage parents and better record the health status of the future mother.
Moreover, he underscored that a National Action Plan on Breastfeeding has been launched to encourage mothers to breastfeed their baby during the first six months of the baby.
The Minister is confident that the training will enable participants to suggest recommendations at improving fertility services and sharing evidence-based practices as per international standards.
The training, he added, will later be extended in other regional hospitals so that a maximum number of professionals are trained in the basics of assisted conception.
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