Infertility treatment costs remain a burden for many Vietnamese families

The rate of infertility in Vietnam is on the rise, while treatment costs remain a major barrier preventing many couples from accessing modern assisted reproductive technologies.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Sim, Vice General Director of Phenikaa University Hospital and Director of the Phenikaa Fund for Children, stated at the Fund's launch on 1/6 that the primary obstacle for infertile couples is the cost, leading to significant financial strain for many families seeking to conceive.

Global estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that one in six couples faces challenges in conceiving. In Vietnam, Ministry of Health statistics show that approximately 7.7% of the reproductive-aged population experiences infertility. Secondary infertility, defined as difficulty conceiving after a previous pregnancy, is particularly on the rise, now accounting for over half of all infertility cases. Factors contributing to this increasing rate include later marriages and childbearing, environmental influences, occupational stress, and chronic anxiety.

Doctors performing fetal intervention for a case at the hospital. Photo: Hospital provided

Over the past two decades, Vietnam has made significant advancements in assisted reproductive technology, with success rates at many centers reaching 50-70%. Despite this progress, the number of patients able to access treatment remains low relative to the actual need, primarily due to the prohibitive cost of care.

The inherently advanced nature of medical techniques makes infertility treatment, subfertility care, and fetal interventions consistently expensive. Assisted reproductive methods and intrauterine surgeries necessitate ultra-clean laboratory environments, intricate micro-manipulation equipment, and embryo culture chemicals that are almost exclusively imported under stringent standards. Furthermore, the success of these procedures relies heavily on specialists with decades of intensive training. These rigorous demands on both technology and human expertise make it challenging to reduce the cost of these essential medical services.

Furthermore, significant policy gaps in social welfare act as another barrier for infertile families. Infertility treatment is currently not covered by health insurance. This stems from a traditional policy-making mindset that often fails to adequately recognize infertility as a medical condition, leaving patients to shoulder the full financial burden. This oversight creates an inherent inequity, given that reproductive organ damage constitutes a genuine medical pathology and the aspiration to become parents is a fundamental right for all citizens.

These financial barriers profoundly impact family life. Couples unable to afford early interventions often spend years laboring and saving. A common, unfortunate paradox arises when, by the time they amass sufficient funds, their advanced age has diminished egg and sperm quality, reducing successful conception rates and significantly increasing overall treatment costs. The emotional strain of seeking to conceive, compounded by debt, not only depletes financial resources but also frequently leads to depression, exhaustion, and marital dissolution.

Beyond individual households, infertility directly influences Vietnam's demographic future. The nation is currently experiencing a record-low birth rate, while nearly 8% of its reproductive-aged population is infertile. Without timely support for this group to produce healthy succeeding generations, Vietnam faces an inevitable future of severe labor shortages and a rapidly aging population within the next few decades.

To address this complex issue, experts advocate for the urgent implementation of a comprehensive and humane set of solutions. A pivotal step involves regulatory agencies amending health insurance policies to gradually include basic infertility examination, diagnosis, treatment, or essential fetal interventions within the covered services.

Implementing a cost-support framework, similar to those in many advanced nations, would greatly incentivize families. Concurrently, assistance from community health funds or interest-free medical credit packages from banks could serve as crucial lifelines, enabling young couples to manage immediate financial challenges and utilize critical treatment windows.

Beyond macro-level considerations, healthcare facilities must continuously update and standardize treatment protocols, optimizing processes to minimize unnecessary medications or tests. For a long-term strategy, the healthcare sector should pursue domestic production of certain medical supplies and culture media, thereby reducing reliance on imports. Finally, widespread promotion of pre-marital health check-ups is essential for early detection of reproductive health issues, easing the subsequent journey to parenthood.