Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi has released The Future of Fertility: From IVF to Integrated Reproductive Medicine, a new whitepaper developed with Knowledge Contributor PwC Middle East. The whitepaper examines how advances in science, genomics, AI, digital health, and care delivery are reshaping reproductive medicine, and how Abu Dhabi is translating a broader reproductive-health ambition into system change.
Reproductive medicine is entering a new phase. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have helped millions of individuals and families achieve parenthood, with an estimated 9.8-13 million infants born worldwide through ART between 1978 and 2018. At the same time, the World Health Organisation estimates that around one in six adults experience infertility at some point in their lives. The whitepaper argues that the future of fertility care extends beyond IVF as a procedure, towards a broader model that supports individuals and families across the reproductive-health journey.
Abu Dhabi’s response is centred on the Abu Dhabi Programme for the Future of Reproductive Health, led by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. The programme brings together three interconnected pillars: awareness and prevention across life stages; access to and coverage of reproductive healthcare services; and enabling capabilities spanning regulation, genomics and digital technologies. Within this wider programme, an IVF blueprint focuses on patient experience, facility infrastructure, workforce, technology, and innovation and global partnerships, strengthening the capabilities needed to deliver high-quality fertility care and connect it with the wider reproductive-health system.
Her Excellency Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “Globally, reproductive medicine is entering a new era. Advances in science, genomics, AI and digital health are giving us new ways to understand fertility, personalise care, and improve outcomes for more people. But technology alone is not enough. The real opportunity is to bring research, clinical care and innovation together, so that people experience their care as a single journey rather than disjointed services.
“That is the approach we are building in Abu Dhabi, bringing together policy, clinical expertise, research, technology and collaboration in one connected reproductive-health ecosystem. Through Future Health, we are sharing this approach with the world and inviting others to help shape a future where fertility care is more connected, more accessible, and centred on the needs of every person,” she added.
Abu Dhabi is already translating this integrated approach into practice. In 2025, the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre expanded the IFHAS comprehensive screening programme to include reproductive-health screening for men and women aged 20–35, while a 2026 preconception-care standard sets structured referral pathways into genetics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and fertility services where indicated. The emirate’s expanded premarital genetic screening programme also supports earlier identification of inherited risks; By July 2026, 11,748 couples had undergone screening, and 565 cases of genetic incompatibility had been identified. This enables affected couples to access genetic counselling and appropriate healthcare services, make informed decisions and reduce the risk of transmitting genetic disorders to future generations.
Within IVF care, Abu Dhabi has introduced common standards for patient experience and quality measurement, with licensed providers required to report age-stratified clinical pregnancy and live-birth rates alongside treatment complications and laboratory outcomes. Patients are also assigned dedicated IVF care coordinators to support appointments, follow-up, and communication, while digital services through TAMM enable booking, registration and remote check-in. Against this backdrop, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi reported an IVF success rate exceeding 51% in 2024, rising to 59% across the emirate in 2026, with an ambition to reach 80% by 2030.
Osama AbuHantash, Partner, Health Industries, PwC Middle East, said: “The future of reproductive medicine extends well beyond advances in IVF treatment. This white paper explores the opportunity to shift from a largely reactive approach to infertility towards a more proactive model that places greater emphasis on prevention, early identification of reproductive-health risks and informed decision-making. It also highlights the potential of advances in genomics and emerging technologies to improve care, while ensuring that innovation is supported by robust evidence and translates into meaningful clinical outcomes and better patient experiences. Abu Dhabi’s evolving approach offers valuable insights for health systems seeking to advance more preventive, personalised and outcomes-focused reproductive care.”
Looking ahead, the whitepaper identifies three areas through which Abu Dhabi can build on these foundations: advancing more comprehensive and connected reproductive care; connecting technology and innovation with scientific discovery; and aligning world-class capabilities around clinical outcomes that matter to patients. It also emphasises the importance of distinguishing between technologies that are established in care, those still being evaluated and those that remain experimental, so innovation is introduced with appropriate evidence, oversight and governance.
The whitepaper forms part of Future Health’s Abu Dhabi Blueprints series and reflects its 2026 theme, ‘To Sense is to Predict’, exploring how earlier and increasingly precise insights can support more predictive, preventive and personalised approaches to health.
