Financial costs of assisted reproductive technology for patients in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

STUDY QUESTION: What are the direct costs of assisted reproductive technology (ART), and how affordable is it for patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICS)? SUMMARY ANSWER: Direct medical costs paid by patients for infertility treatment are significantly higher than annual average income and GDP per capita, pointing to unaffordability and the risk of catastrophic expenditure for those in need. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Infertility treatment is largely inaccessible to many people in LMICs. Our analysis shows that no study in LMICs has previously compared ART medical costs across countries in international dollar terms (US$PPP) or correlated the medical costs with economic indicators, financing…

• WH
  World Health Organization
• U
  UNICEF