Valuable research will only benefit 6% of infertile couples

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 29 Jun 2004 - 11:00 PDT


ESHRE Congress in Berlin, Sandra K Dill founder and co-ordinator of the ESHRE Patient Leader Forum released the following statement:

"I welcome and support the valuable new research that has been presented at this meeting to help improve our understanding and treatment of fertility problems. However I fear that this research will currently only benefit 6 per cent of couples with fertility problems.

These new figures that we have presented at this meeting show the biggest issue we face in treating infertility is encouraging people to come forward for treatment in the first place. The patient care standards initiative that we have launched at this meeting will be a major step in addressing this problem.

We will work with a completely new, independent and international panel of experts - the Global InFertility Taskforce (GIFT) - to produce the first ever, global standards for fertility care. These standards will lay down a benchmark of quality around the world and ensure patients are offered clear, un-intimidating and high quality advice that they can confidently act upon."

- ENDS -

ESHRE Patient Leader Forum is an exciting new initiative, which was created to strengthen the links between patient leaders around the world and the members of ESHRE. The EPLF provides a forum to discuss global patient and consumer needs and a place in the scientific community for patient leaders to feed back issues from their home country. It also provides opportunities for patient leaders and health care professionals to work in partnership and address anything that might threaten access to affordable, safe, health care.

For further information on the figures quoted in this statement and the Patient Care Standards please contact:

On site in Berlin: Jeremy Clark +44 (0)7834 308954 or jeremy_clark@uk.cohnwolfe.com
London: Lee Zimmer +44 (0)20 7331 5447 or lee_zimmer@uk.cohnwolfe.com
Lisa Nilsen +44 (0)20 7331 5338 or lisa_nilsen@uk.cohnwolfe.com

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Carrie Rosenstone
Cohn & Wolfe Healthcare
30 Orange Street, London WC2H 7LZ
Tel: +44 (0)20 7331 5449
Fax: +44 (0)20 7331 9084

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