Fertility Society of Ghana Spearheads Training of Fertility Specialists in Ghana

Unique and Innovative collaboration

THE TRAINING AND AVAILABILITY OF SPECIALISTS in reproductive medicine are crucial to addressing the complex challenges of infertility. While some causes of infertility can be treated with simple interventions by general gynaecologists, more complex conditions, such as tubal blockages and severe male factor infertility, require the expertise of specialists skilled in Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) and endocrinology. With the World Health Organization estimating that approximately 1 in 6 couples worldwide experience infertility, the need for well-trained specialists is becoming increasingly urgent.

FERSOG recognises Training Needs

Recognising the absence of such a training programme in Ghana, soon after its formation in 2016, the Fertility Society of Ghana’s (FERSOG) Executive Council initiated discussions on how the Society could establish a sub-specialist training programme in infertility. It is important to note that, at the time, all ART centres in Ghana were privately owned. Given that no ART centre existed within the public health sector, FERSOG devised an innovative collaboration between the private and public health sectors to facilitate the proposed training programme.

FERSOG is now pursuing strategies for training Fertility Nurse Specialists, Embryologists, and Psychologists

The next steps involved developing a curriculum suited for sub-specialist training and engaging with the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS), the statutory body responsible for postgraduate training in Ghana. The draft curriculum was developed based on training programmes from the United Kingdom and South Africa, with input from the British Fertility Society and OB/GYN faculty members of the GCPS. After discussions and modifications, the final curriculum was submitted to the GCPS for consideration and approval. Following further adjustments by the GCPS, the programme was approved and the training programme commenced.

The unique program

The uniqueness of this programme lies in its structure: the three-year training programme is divided between the Teaching Hospitals and accredited ART centres. In the first 18 months, fellows will complete the theoretical aspects of the programme at Teaching Hospitals, while the ART centres will provide hands-on training in ART procedures for the remaining 18 months. The programme culminates in an original prospective research project by the fellows and an exit examination overseen by the GCPS.

The programme officially launched in 2021, with the first cohort of fellows admitted that year. Since its inception, more trainees have joined, progressing through different stages of training. Currently, As at the beginning of 2024 there were 26 fellows enrolled—16 at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and 10 at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. The inaugural fellows graduated in September 2024 with a 100% pass rate.

This unique and innovative collaboration has allowed Ghana to address its human resource needs in the field of ART using in-country resources.

Thanks to this unique and innovative collaboration between the private and public health sectors, Ghana is now addressing its human resource needs in the field of ART using in-country resources. Previously, clinicians had to seek such training abroad, often through short courses. Due to the success of this programme, FERSOG is now pursuing similar strategies for training fertility nurse specialists, embryologists, and psychologists. The FERSOG sub-specialist training has been praised by the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) and the British Fertility Society and could serve as a model for specialist training in other low- and middle-income countries across Africa and beyond.

Written by: Dr. Rudolph Kantum Adageba