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Each Year, Over 1000 People Seek Assisted Reproduction in Rwanda
On August 4, 2024, the Rwandan Parliament passed a new law regulating healthcare services, including provisions on assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and allowing adolescents aged 15 and above to independently consent to healthcare services without parental or guardian approval.
The law permits married couples who cannot conceive naturally, as confirmed by a specialist, to access ART services. These include surrogacy and the storage of eggs or sperm for future use. People facing fertility issues can receive these services under the guidelines and regulations established by the law.
State Minister in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Yvan Butera, described the law as a major step forward in improving and expanding healthcare services in Rwanda, removing obstacles that previously forced some to seek such services abroad.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that between 2020 and 2024, over 5,925 people were identified as needing assisted reproductive services. In Rwanda’s four major hospitals Butare University Hospital, Kigali University Hospital, King Faisal Hospital, and Mediheal Hospital and Fertility Centre, the number of patients seeking ART increased yearly: 926 in 2022, 1,845 in 2023, and 1,349 in 2024.
Dr. Butera explained that fertility issues are caused by male factors in 30% of cases, female factors in another 30%, combined factors in 30%, and 10% remain unexplained.
Surrogacy is conducted using In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), where eggs and sperm are combined in a laboratory before being transferred to a surrogate mother. The eggs are carefully monitored and nurtured to ensure the highest chance of a healthy birth.
Couples seeking IVF receive treatment to mature the eggs, the male partner provides sperm, which is then combined with the eggs in a lab. Once viable embryos are obtained, they are implanted in a surrogate mother. Often, two embryos are implanted to increase the chance of success, which is why multiple births are common with IVF.
Dr. Butera emphasized that all procedures follow legal guidelines, including agreements between the parties involved and supervision by medical professionals. The law also allows individuals who store eggs or sperm for future use to access them when necessary, based on medical approval.
King Faisal Hospital one of the four hospitals in Rwanda that show the statistics of people who seeks ART.
