Dr. Nowiah Gorpudolo-Dennis (Merck Foundation Alumni) Fertility Specialist & Medical Director at Kenedja Health Center, and Director for the Family Health Program, Ministry of Health, Liberia has described Infertility as a "global health issue" that should be tackled with great care.

Dr Nowiah was speaking during the second day of the 11th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary”; an annual conference held by Merck Foundation.

The second day focused on community awareness and Health Media training.

The conference was held in partnership with the Government of Tanzania on 29th and 30th October, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

A more compassionate society

Dr Nowiah emphasized that a considerable number of couples are grappling with infertility. She stressed the need for society to address this challenge with seriousness, advocating for open discussions and support rather than allowing it to remain a forbidden topic causing women especially to suffer in silence.

According to her, women experience, the negative consequences of childlessness more than men and this is more common in underdeveloped and developing countries compared to developed countries; suggesting that more than 70 million couples suffer from infertility adding "That's a huge number".

"I'm not saying it is not present in the developed countries, it is there, but the percentage is less .... It is Women who are generally blamed for this condition. So there is A feeling of shame and guilt because there is no social support. There's no family support for a woman. This leads to stress, depression and anxiety. It is a global health issue that has to be recognized and tackled with great care...

When a couple gets married, the whole family, the whole society will say Oh, in a couple of years we have to see a child coming. As the first child is here in a couple of years; then they say the first child is getting bored, so a second should be coming. So that has always been ongoing"

By acknowledging the emotional and psychological toll that infertility can take on couples, Dr. Nowiah called on the media to help create greater awareness and understanding.

She urged the media to play a critical role in dismantling the stigma surrounding infertility. Dr. Nowiah believes that increased public awareness can lead to a more compassionate society that recognizes the complexities of infertility and provides the necessary support for couples navigating this difficult journey.