Discussing Infertility issues in Croatia

It was a huge privilege to meet the doctors, embryologists and specialists that are helping infertile couples achieve their dreams in Croatia.

It is a beautiful country and the 5th Croatian Congress on Gynecological Endocrinology, Human Reproduction and Menopause and the 8th Congress of the Society of Croatian Clinical Embryologists was held on the amazing coastline at Opatija,

While there I met Prof. Dr. Velimir Šimunić, who was one of the pioneers in the area where Robert Verigo was the first IVF baby in the former Yugoslavia in 1983. He said there has been so much progress in fertility treatment that it was like riding a tram in those days and now it is like riding a space shuttle!

I was interviewed on stage in front of the delegates at the event by Barbara Kolar, who hosts “Dancing with The Stars” on Croatian TV and spoke about my parents and the pioneers of IVF that brought about my birth.

So many people have now seen the Netflix film “Joy” and a trailer for the film was shown during my interview. Then it was a lively round of meeting television and web-based journalists, who were curious about all aspects of fertility treatment.

I met so many wonderful people but I must thank those who invited me. I now have a friend in Prof. Dr. Dinka Pavičić Baldani, President of the Croatian Society of Gynecological Endocrinology and Human Reproduction, President of the National Committee for Assisted Reproduction of the Ministry of Health, Member of the Executive Board of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and Member of the Supervisory Board of the Pan-European Registry for Assisted Reproduction (EuMAR).

Also Dejan Ljiljak, VF lab director, senior clinical embryologist at University Clinical Hospital Center Sestre milosrdnice, Zagreb (Croatia) who was a wonderful host. Of course the embryologists had a party after the conference but there was also some important discussions. Embryologist Davor Štimac vice-president of the Croatian Society of Clinical Embryologist led that part of the conference with great discussions.

The key factors identified that need to be worked on in the Republic of Croatia, through joint action by the state, healthcare professionals and patient associations, are raising awareness of infertility problems, education and changing public opinion.

Discussion topics included the quality and safety of IVF, the correct interpretation of data on the success of IVF procedures and the standardization of the data registry in Europe.

Falling birth rates in Croatia make IVF more important than ever and I was told that every school class in that country now has at least one IVF baby among its number.

Today, it is estimated that 15 to 17% of couples are infertile, which means that every 6th couple in the world and in Croatia has problems with infertility.