If awareness creates the pathway to necessary care, innovation lights up the path, ideally making the journey safer, more accessible, and efficient.
For more than 40 years, people have been building their families with the help of IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Decades ago, fertility treatments were limited, costly, and with varying success. WFA U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Jordan Carr, who is also the first U.S. IVF baby, notes: “my very existence is a testament to how far reproductive science and advocacy have come, and how far we still need to go.”
WFA Spain Ambassador Prof. Antonio Pellicer, IVF pioneer and co-founder of IVI RMA Global, helped bring assisted reproductive technology into the mainstream. He shares, “When we founded IVI 35 years ago, what we were doing in IVF felt almost like science fiction – cutting-edge medicine accessible only to few. It is deeply inspiring to see how those early innovations have become standard of care, and to know that thousands of families across the globe now benefit each year from once-unimaginable treatments.”
Today, approximately 600,000 babies are born via IVF globally every year, and as technology advances and becomes even more efficient and accessible, that number will grow. The global fertility-treatment market has grown over 30% in the past decade alone; some analysts estimate that new technologies may reduce per- cycle cost by 15-25% in the next five years (not soon enough for those needing care now, but we’ll take it!).
From AI-driven embryo assessment in the lab, to RFID tags, and even emerging research in in-vitro gametogenesis, we’re seeing technology redefine fertility care right before our eyes, making hope more tangible for the 1 in 6 affected by infertility.
In Europe in recent years, one of the first live births took place after a successful clinical trial of a uterus transplantation in Sweden. European FemTech companies creating wearables for at-home hormone fertility monitoring, cycle tracking and data analytics are prolific, and shaping global developments of accessible fertility tools worldwide. But technology alone isn’t the solution. Scalability is also a form of innovation. One of the greatest opportunities is democratizing care: making sure that innovation reduces cost and improves access, not just in wealthy regions but globally.
In the Asia-Pacific region, the IVF market was estimated at USD 8.7 billion in 2023, and now has expectations to grow to ~USD 14.3 billion by 2030, citing a compound annual growth rate of over 7%. Studies show the Asian ART market is ramping fast, citing millions of IVF cycles, billions of dollars in market size, and many new clinics opening. For example, China had a “one child policy” from 1980 to 2015 and now funds assisted reproductive technologies under their national health insurance. To attract higher rates of medical tourism, countries like Thailand have emerged as leading destinations for fertility treatment, combining affordable options with high-quality care in IVF, egg donation, and surrogacy. The market change, in many instances driven by the government’s goal to increase their population and GDP, is evident.
WFA India Ambassador, and Embryologist, Abhinav Dudeja, notes: “Infertility affects nearly over 27 million couples in India, yet societal judgment often overshadows medical understanding. From my experience, women bear disproportionate emotional burdens, and male infertility is underdiagnosed due to cultural stigma. The lack of access to affordable, quality care, especially in non-metro regions, worsens outcomes. Still, there’s hope: digital platforms, evolving policies, and awareness campaigns are slowly shifting the narrative.”
Innovation isn’t just the next frontier or the shiny new equipment in the lab – it’s the new baseline to standardize care.
“It’s an honor to be part of a global movement that celebrates innovation in fertility and brings visibility to the millions navigating infertility. When we come together across borders, we help people feel less alone, and remind the world that how families are built matters,” says U.S. WFA Ambassador, and Reproductive Endocrinologist, Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh. Her words reflect a shift from not just treating infertility, but elevating the care experience and expanding what’s possible for patients trying to conceive.
As we unlock new tools, we must also lock in equity, affordability and global reach. Because the future of fertility belongs to everyone.
