FERTILITY CARE IN LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES: Embryologists’ practices of care in IVF-clinics in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Embryologists play a central role in IVF. Yet, there is limited knowledge about the nature of their work. We examine the work of embryologists in SSA, where IVF clinics and embryologists are scarce. Based on qualitative interviews conducted with 12 embryologists, we illustrate the multiple tasks they perform on top of their laboratory work: entrepreneurial tasks, advocacy, training, development of regulations, mentoring and patient counselling. Context is important in shaping these practices. This includes the shortage of embryologists in the SSA region, the need to set up 'first' clinics in their respective countries, the lack of trained counsellors in clinics and the mobility of IVF staff. These multiple tasks, while professionally fulfilling, raise questions about their contribution to the scarcity of embryological work in SSA, which contributes to the limited access to IVF in this region.