Infertility affects men as much as it does women

Gone are the days when women were primarily blamed for lack of the ability to bear children because science has proved that infertility is not a problem of women only but can also affect men in the same way.

First Lady and Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother Campaign, Neo Masisi has condemned pockets of society that are still hellbent on blaming women for infertility especially in the African setting.

In the past such women would be called derogatory names like ‘moopa,’ which not only discriminated against them but also put them down causing them to lose their self-esteem and confidence and respect in communities.

The ‘Merck Foundation More Than A Mother’ is a strong movement that aims to empower infertile women through access to information, education and change of mind-set. It also supports countries in defining policies to enhance access to regulated, safe, effective, and equitable fertility and reproductive care solutions.

In addition, it also defines interventions to break the stigma around infertile women and raises awareness about infertility prevention, management and male infertility.

CEO of Merck Foundation and President of More Than A Mother, Dr Rasha Kelej said her organisation produced the More Than A Mother animation film, in partnership with African First Ladies to emphasise the importance of breaking the stigma of infertility.

She described infertility as a shared responsibility, adding that men should support their wives in treatment and get tested as well.

“In partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Information, Education and Gender, academia, policymakers, international fertility societies, media and art, the initiative also provides training for the first fertility specialists and embryologists in many countries in Africa,” Dr Kelej said.

According to Dr Kelej, to date, the Foundation has provided more than 570 scholarships for Fertility and Artificial Reproduction experts in Africa to change the Fertility Care landscape in Africa. A few of those are Batswana doctors, among them Dr One Stephen, who studied Assisted Reproduction and Embryology at Manipal University in India – a new profession in the country.

Dr Stephen revealed that such areas of specialty are scarce in low and middle-income countries. She believes the Foundation has equipped her in the field of reproductive medicine and she will now bring solutions to longstanding problems of infertility to Botswana.

Dr Stephen highlighted that efforts are underway to establish a local invitro fertilisation, a centre for treatment of infertility conditions, which many Batswana struggling with infertility cannot afford as they are offered outside the country.

Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist from the University of Botswana and Princess Marina Hospital, Dr Onkabetse Julia Molefe-Baikai explained that infertility in women could be caused by anatomy as well as physiological factors, which cannot be determined at face value.

She explained that for a couple to believe that they are infertile, they have to engage in regular unprotected sexual intercourse for a period of one year. “After one year of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, that is when we can go further to do thorough tests to determine what the problem could be, and find solutions,” she said.

The Merck Foundation also organised a Health Media Training for Journalists in partnership with the First Lady, to emphasise the important role that media plays to influence society to create a cultural shift with the aim to address wide range of social and health issues such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM, Stopping GBV, Diabetes and Hypertension awareness.

Masisi told journalist at the training last Thursday that how they use words to report about conditions matter. She added that health issues are sensitive and need to be handled with tact. She challenged reporters to reduce infertility stigma in their reporting and encourage men to be part of the fight against infertility stigma and not fuel it.

As part of the launch of Merck Foundation programmes in Botswana, the Foundation, together with the First Lady signed a few copies of their different children’s storybooks titled: ‘More Than a Mother’ created for children and youth to emphasise and strengthen family values of love and respect from an early age; ‘Not Who You Are’ to teach boys to love and respect their future wives and eliminate domestic violence to emphasise on the importance of empowering girls through education and ‘Sugar Free Jude’ and ‘Mark’s Pressure’ to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness on the early detection and prevention of Diabetes and Hypertension. Thousands of copies of these storybooks are going to be distributed to school students of Botswana.

Masisi, who has now been officially appointed Ambassador of More Than A Mother Campaign, is happy that since 2018, the Foundation has been able to provide 46 scholarships to local young doctors in many specialties, which are very critical for the country.

She is also supporting girl education by providing scholarships and bicycles for 40 schoolgirls to cover their transportation and other education expenses so that they can reach their potentials and achieve their dreams. This bicycle donation is also expected to encourage girls to continue going to the school, as they sometimes dropout due to long distances.

Merck Foundation Chairman and CEO together with The First Lady also visited schools in the country to meet the beneficiaries of Sewing machines donation and witness their success.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi said at the launch that it is important to help turn the agony of the mothers in communities of Botswana into a perfect fulfillment in harmony with being more than a mother. “Let us all work towards replacing a guile with a smile,” he said.