The Ministry of Health, through its Department of Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health, has convened reproductive medicine specialists and national stakeholders to develop a strategic roadmap for the implementation of fertility and reproductive medicine services in Uganda.
The high-level engagement focused on building a coordinated, equitable, and quality-assured framework to guide fertility care in both public and private health facilities.
Health officials say fertility and infertility remain critical but under-recognised components of public health. While global conversations often emphasise family planning and maternal health, infertility continues to carry social stigma, limited policy visibility, and inadequate resource allocation particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Participants at the engagement examined the current state of fertility and infertility services across Uganda. Discussions assessed the availability and accessibility of services in public hospitals, the growing but often costly role of private providers, and the disparities that limit access for low-income families.
Stakeholders also highlighted community perspectives and lived experiences, noting that infertility carries profound emotional, psychological, and social consequences especially for women, who often bear disproportionate blame in cases of childlessness. Experts emphasised the need to integrate psychosocial support into fertility services, alongside clinical care.
Emerging challenges discussed included limited infrastructure for assisted reproductive technologies, high treatment costs, shortage of trained specialists, regulatory gaps, and the absence of standardised national guidelines for fertility care within public facilities.
However, participants also identified opportunities to strengthen reproductive medicine through improved coordination, policy development, capacity building, and public awareness.
Integrating fertility services into existing reproductive health frameworks was highlighted as a practical step toward expanding access without duplicating systems.
The Ministry of Health reiterated its central role in providing stewardship—ensuring regulation, setting standards of care, coordinating stakeholders, and promoting equitable access to services across the country.