- One in five couples in the UAE face fertility issues – a higher figure than in other parts of the world
- Former Miss World Diana Hayden inaugurates the Aster IVF & Women Clinic
- Aster IVF & Women Clinic offers specialised IVF treatment: IVF Lite
- Global IVF market estimated to grow up to US$21.6 billion by 2020
DUBAI, UAE; 29 May 2016: During the inauguration of the Aster IVF & Women Clinic – a speciality clinic launched by Aster DM Healthcare – a study was unveiled revealing that fertility treatments in the UAE need to become easily accessible and affordable to tackle the growing infertility numbers among couples.
The study also mentioned that one in five couples in the UAE face fertility issues – a higher figure than in other parts of the world. Statistics also show that in Dubai alone the incidence of infertile women seeking treatment per year could nearly double from 5,975 cases in 2015 to 9,139 cases by 2030*.
The study findings were launched by former Miss World, actress, philanthropist and author, Diana Hayden, a strong and vocal advocate for the removal of stigmas associated with infertility. Ms. Hayden was in Dubai to launch the Aster IVF & Women Clinic.
Speaking at the opening of the clinic, Alisha Moopen, Executive Director and Group CEO of Aster DM Healthcare, stated that the Aster IVF & Women Clinic was an extension of its speciality care to the families in the communities it operates in.
She said: “As we move into a world of open-source information and rapid socio-economic transformation, perceptions around women and family health are changing. Previous stigmas and misconceptions around infertility are being challenged and replaced by discussions and advice around what the latest fertility treatments are.
“At the Aster IVF & Women Clinic, we believe in creating long-lasting and supportive relationships between our patients and practitioners, offering them the best treatments in the region. The clinic is set to be a space in which couples and families experience empathetic medical care, an approach that makes our patients feel supported.”
Studies reflect that infertility is becoming increasingly common in the region. As per the Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA) latest findings, around 50 per cent of women in the UAE face issues pertaining to infertility. This is in large part caused by a shifting demographic trend coupled with late marriages, and consequently, late attempts to start a family.
Diana Hayden said: “An increasing number of couples only look to enter parenthood when they feel they are a hundred per cent ready for it. Late marriages have also led to an increase in age at which people opt to have their first child. However due to the decreasing level of hormones with age in both men and women, the reality is that we are witnessing lower rates of fertility.
“Yet in today’s world of medical advances, one is able to ensure that it is possible for women to conceive and couples to experience parenthood at their convenience. This is provided they have the best treatments and procedures of IVF available to them, such as the Aster IVF & Women Clinic, Including specialised doctors who are committed to advancing the cause of fertility.”
Another factor associated with rising infertility is obesity, as a high Body Mass Index (BMI) is associated with infertility. The high level of diabetes in the region is another significant factor. According to government health statistics around 25 per cent of adults in the UAE have diabetes and a similar percentage of population is pre-diabetic. Smoking in both men and women has also been suggested as a cause of infertility. Natural conception is twice as difficult for smoking women, as it causes lower sperm counts in men and also reduces the success rates of fertility treatments.
With global, regional and local infertility rates rising, so is the demand for IVF. A United Nations study says that the global IVF market is estimated to grow up to US$21.6 billion by 2020.
Conveniently located in Al Mankhool, Bur Dubai, the Aster IVF & Women Clinic, strives to ensure that all families and couples struggling to give birth have a trusted practitioner and medical space to turn too. The clinic is also a speciality extension of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department at the Aster Hospital in Mankhool, one of most comprehensive healthcare facilities for women in the country.
Led by internationally recognised specialists with several years of experience in the field of fertility treatments, Aster IVF & Women Clinic promises to provide a holistic approach with a broad spectrum of care that women need during their different phases of life. One of the highlights of the clinic is the IVF Lite treatment, another IVF method used to help couples get pregnant with minimal risks, higher success rate and lower in cost.
Alisha Moopen further explained: “At our hospitals and clinics we have witnessed countless couples nervously seek counsel on how to act on issues of infertility. We hope to turn that uncertainty into a promise to our patients that they no longer have to be stressed, confused or scared as we have the facilities and expertise to treat them well.”
Hence the services offered at the clinic are diverse and adaptable to each individual patient. This includes state-of-the-art Ovulation Induction, recurrent miscarriage screening and therapies, IUI, IVF, ICSI and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and Screening using Next Generation Sequencing for 100% 24-chromosome diagnosis including elective PGD-IVF Sex Selection for family-balancing.
In addition to offering expertise in IVF, the Women’s health speciality, also part of the Aster IVF & Women Clinic, was designed to make the clinic a one stop exclusive facility focusing on women’s health. The Women clinic provides holistic medical and paramedical services for women to assist them in every medical need.
Aster IVF & Women Clinic also offers gynaecological services, investigation and treatment related to menstrual disorders, treatment for Urinary Dysfunction, Physiotherapy, Wellness, Yoga and Cosmetology. The team consists of highly trained doctors, physiotherapists, nurses and technicians who collectively work towards the aim of improving the overall health of women.
Aster Hospitals & Clinics also conducted a CME on the latest advances in Assisted Reproductive Technology two days prior to the opening of the IVF clinic, in which highly experienced IVF care professionals from all around the world dispensed great knowledge on various topics in the fields of IVF to the UAE gynaecology fraternity. Aster Hospitals & Clinics will also be conducting periodic education programs for gynaecologists & obstetricians to raise the education amongst specialist and empower them to conduct work related in this field.
