Almost one in every six couples face infertility problems in the UAE

HealthPlus Fertility Center successfully conducts Fertility Awareness Open Day for Media Representatives
Abu Dhabi, UAE, December 18, 2013: HealthPlus, member of the integrated healthcare delivery system established by United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical), Abu Dhabi’s leading healthcare development and Investment Company, in association with the Emirates Family Network successfully conducted a Fertility Awareness Open Day at the HealthPlus Fertility Center. The event also held a press trip for media representatives. During the event the attendees were taken through a step-by-step process allowing them to understand the different stages involved in the process of fertility treatment for patients who wish to have a baby through In Vitro fertilization(IVF).
The attendees were welcomed by Majd Abu Zant, CEO of HealthPlus Chain of Specialized Centers, who gave a brief introduction to the HealthPlus group and its HealthPlus Fertility Center. “HealthPlus Fertility Center commenced operations in March 2011, as part of the network of specialty centers under the brand of HealthPlus. Our dedication to delivering renewed hope to infertile couples across the region has brought us great success, leading to an expansion of our center in 2012. We don’t only offer a full range of state-of-the-art services for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, as well as ensure that patients are seen in a caring environment, where the major emphasis is not only technological excellence, but also on accessibility, personal attention, and emotional support”.
Already a global issue, infertility affected an estimated 48.5 million couples worldwide, placing a severe emotional burden on couples who are unable to conceive. One in every six couples (a total of 100,446 men and women) face infertility problems in the UAE. Despite the very real impact this has on the lives of families who are struggling to conceive, awareness of this issue remains low, and patients are unaware of the different treatment options.
In medical terms, a couple is considered to have fertility issues, if they are unable to conceive after one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse, or after six months if a woman is 35 or older. DNA damage, genetic factors , general factors like diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, adrenal disease, Hypothalamic-pituitary factors, and environmental factors (like smoking habit), may cause infertility in both men and women.
Dr. Walid Sayed Director of HealthPlus Fertility Centre/Consultant ObGyn IVF and Dr. Nadia Najjari, HealthPlus Fertility Center Specialist Reproductive Medicine IVF, spoke in depth about the different fertility conducts, the safety and risks involved, devices involved in the fertility treatments available and provided by the HealthPlus Fertility Center.
The group of attendees was escorted by Dr. Walid Syed and his team to different areas of the facility such as Laboratory and Embryology as well as the Ultrasound and Theatre, giving detailed information about the process steps and devices involved at every touch point.
Fertilization is the fusion of ovum and sperm trough ICSI or IVF. In both the methods of treatment embryo transplant-embryo transfer procedure the female reproductive part in or is loaded with the embryos and handed to the clinician after confirmation of the patient’s identity. A presentation of the Sample ID system was used by the center to show how the center secures the appropriate identification of the samples collected followed by an Ultrasound video of a mockup patient, to show the process of assessing the results of the fertility treatment.
Speaking about the risk factors involved in fertility treatment Dr. Nadia Najjari said , “As per Mayo Clinic statistics rate of miscarriages in women who conceived through IVF with fresh embryos is similar to that of women who conceived spontaneously which is about 15-20%, while the success rate vary from center to center, generally from 35-45 %”.
“Women undergoing fertility treatments end up having twins or triplets which happen due to the transfer of more than one embryo to increase the rate of conception with accordance to the rules and regulation of the UAE law”, she further added.
Among the different fertility treatments available Dr. Walid stated, “HealthPlus Fertility Center is a facility devoted to its patients and achieving the best outcomes possible for every treatment we deliver. It was first initiated in March 2011 and includes a range of fertility treatments like IVF, ICSI, Reproductive Surgery, IUI- Intrauterine Insemination, SSR- Surgical Sperm Recovery and PGS- Pre- implantation Genetic Screening.”
The open media day at the HealthPlus Fertility Centre, came to an end with lunch followed by a brief IVF by Rate – Statistics – provided by Dr. Walid Sayed
About the HealthPlus Fertility Center’s Community Program
As a support for the patients, United Eastern medical Services, mother company of Healthplus, developed a program which assists and aides the less fortunate families financially by reducing the cost of therapy through a properly scaled system wherein a certain amount of the cost is covered by United Eastern Medical Services depending on the socio financial situation of the patient. This program is a chance to give back to society and do more for the development and sustainability of families across the United Arab Emirates. During 2013, more than 90 patients have benefited from the fertility funding program.
About HealthPlus
As a member of the health matrix, HealthPlus diligently pursues UEMedical’s multiple missions of delivering world-class patient care and improving long-term health of the general populace.
To become the region’s premier Primary and Specialty Care Network. With proficient and compassionate healthcare professionals, modern facilities and state-of-the-art technologies, we are on our way to becoming one of the most progressive and advanced healthcare providers in the region. We deliver uncompromising levels of medical excellence, patient-centeredness and unparalleled levels of customer service, offer superior performance in an atmosphere where we are proud to set new standards of medical innovation and proficiency and improve long-term community health through regular screening and early detection, and promoting health awareness and education.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Rania Akkela
Marketing & Communications Manager, UEMedical
M: 00971 56 6780665
T: 00971 2 6266805
F: 00971 2 6266897
E: rania.akkela@uems.ae