Introducing assisted reproductive technologies in The Gambia, a survey on the perspectives of Gambian healthcare professionals and medical students.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of involuntary childlessness (infertility) is high. However, services to help address this problem are inconsistent or lacking ­ including in the West African country of The Gambia, where this study was conducted. There is currently limited information on the infrastructure available and the level of knowledge and training among healthcare providers in the country to help address this issue. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted a survey with health staff from different hospitals and with medical students at the University of The Gambia. The survey focused on the reported availability of services as well as participants' knowledge and training in both basic and advanced treatments for infertility. We found a major lack of infertility care services in rural areas. Furthermore, staff knowledge about infertility was minimal, and there was little knowledge about more advanced infertility care services, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). The survey also found that staff and students perceived other health priorities and religion as major barriers for ART introduction. Staff noted that government funding for infertility treatment is minimal. In conclusion, this survey found a lack of reported infrastructure for infertility in rural areas of The Gambia, as well as a lack of formal training by staff. However, both staff and students showed interest in the potential introduction of ART. Overall, this survey highlights that more investment and training is needed to implement changes in order to modernize reproductive healthcare in The Gambia, in particular for those who face infertility.