The cost of In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) popularly referred to as ‘Artificial Insemination’ in Ghana has been significantly dropped from GH¢9,000 to GH¢500.
According to Association of Childless Couples of Ghana (ACCOG), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) established in July 2012 to assist childless couples to have their own children, ‘The cost involved in going through IVF treatment is very high across the world. In the UK, it costs around £5,000 per cycle. In Ghana, the average cost of an IVF, after the necessary tests have been conducted on both the man and the woman is about GH¢9,000.00 per cycle. This prevents a lot of people from benefiting from the treatment,’ explained Nana Yaw Osei, a fertility counsellor and the Chief Executive of ACCOG.
‘The good news for Ghanaians expecting to have their own children is that the cost of IVF could soon be cut dramatically from thousands of cedis to around GH¢500.00 ($200.00) to start a “new era” in IVF,’ he proclaimed.
Meanwhile, ACCOG in collaboration with The Church of Pentecost would stage the first ever National Conference on Infertility/Childlessness on Saturday, March 15, 2014. At least 4,000 participants are expected from within and outside the country.
One of the expected resource persons for the conference is Prof Dr Willem Ombelet, a Belgian lead researcher responsible for developing the low cost IVF method called ‘The Walking Egg (TWE)’ which replaces expensive medical equipment with “kitchen cupboard” ingredients.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that the method which was launched in London in July last year has a success rate similar to conventional IVF. The results, presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Conference, showed a pregnancy rate of 30 percent approximately the same as IVF which has a success rate of 33 percent.
Follow the link for more information on the Association of Childless Couples of Ghana