According to the National Family Health Survey, the fertility rate in urban India is 1.6 and 2.1 in rural areas. By 2050, India’s total fertility rate (TFR) is expected to drop to 1.29.
Hormonal issues, increased substance use, and changing lifestyles are all contributing to an increase in infertility in India, which may irreversibly alter India’s population dynamics, potentially leading to an ageing crisis, according to Dr. Ajay Murdia, the man behind Indira IVF, India’s largest fertility chain.
Speaking to PTI ahead of World IVF Day on July 25, Dr Murdia stated that India is at a critical crossroads, experiencing an unparalleled infertility epidemic that affects not just millions of families but also the country’s future demographic balance.
“According to some estimates, about 27.5 million married couples are actively trying to conceive and are suffering from infertility. But only about 275,000 IVF cycles are performed every year,” he said.
“This silent epidemic, affecting one in six couples, is rapidly evolving into a national emergency with far-reaching consequences for India’s societal structure and economic prospects,” Murdia, Founder and Chairman of Indira IVF, said.
According to the National Fam
Lily Health Survey, the fertility rate in urban India is 1.6 and 2.1 in rural areas. By 2050, India’s total fertility rate (TFR) is expected to fall to 1.29, far lower than the replacement rate of 2.1.
This entails a fast declining working-age population.
Rising infertility rates and an ageing population in India pose a threat to the country’s economic growth and social stability, similar to other Asian countries experiencing inverted population pyramids.
Some of the major causes of infertility include widespread polycystic ovary syndrome, which affects up to 22.5% of women, increased substance addiction, changing lifestyles, and an increase in STIs.
“In the coming years, these factors could create a perfect storm that may irreversibly alter India’s population dynamics, potentially leading to an ageing crisis that the country is ill-prepared to handle,” Murdia told reporters.
According to him, the government should make infertility a national health priority and invest in IVF infrastructure, particularly in remote communities.
According to Murdia, the demand for IVF is so high that training programmes for professionals must be scaled up.
He emphasized the importance of incorporating IVF into government health-care plans and providing subsidised or free IVF.
Murdia founded one of the earliest male infertility diagnostic clinics in Udaipur, Rajasthan, in 1988, when infertility was still widely misunderstood and stigmatized.
Indira IVF’s path has developed over time, from solving specific difficulties to a broader objective of providing improved fertility treatments.
Indira IVF has concentrated on raising awareness about infertility as a serious medical condition, trying to dispel myths and provide thorough care, he explained.
On the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Regulations) Act, Murdia said, “I believe the IVF industry, too, will eventually witness a higher degree of consolidation among the bigger players. This consolidation can lead to increased efficiency and standardised practices across the industry, potentially improving the quality of care and patient outcomes.”
In 2021, the government passed the ART and Surrogacy Act to register, monitor, and govern clinics’ ART procedures in India. Indira IVF currently has a fantastic 74% IVF success rate and has completed over 150,000 successful IVF pregnancies.
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Source: BS
