World's first IVF baby champions global fight for fertility access

Louise Brown, the world's first baby born through in vitro fertilization, has joined a global campaign advocating for affordable and accessible fertility care amid unprecedented declines in birth rates worldwide.

The Bristol native, whose 1978 birth marked a medical breakthrough, is supporting the International Federation of Fertility Societies' "More Joy" initiative to address barriers preventing people from achieving their desired family size.

Brown noted that while her school education focused on pregnancy prevention, the new campaign teaches "how to build healthy families and protect their fertility."

Child mother involvement follows United Nations data revealing one in five people across 14 surveyed countries cannot achieve their preferred family size, with 12% citing infertility as the primary barrier,rising to 19% in Thailand and 16% in the United States.

IFFS president Marcos Horton revealed: “Fertility as a fundamental part of human health while many face barriers in accessing care."

The campaign seeks to influence policy and increase education about infertility prevention alongside treatment accessibility.

England and Wales recently recorded their lowest-ever fertility rate at 1.44 children per woman, reflecting global trends the initiative aims to reverse through increased awareness and reduced financial obstacles to reproductive medicine.