TEHRAN — Barekat Charity Foundation, affiliated to Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam also known as Setad-e Ejraiy-e Farman-e Hazrat-e Emam, has financially supported 4,552 infertile couples in rural areas to receive necessary treatments, Ana news agency reported on Wednesday. 

In recent years, the government has been taking measures to encourage families to have more children. However, economic infrastructure should be provided for families to resolve the aging population problem.

In 2014, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei outlined general policies of the country’s population plans, stressing the need for making comprehensive plans to promote the country’s economic, social and cultural situations based on the new population policies.

In order to implement population policies, the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam has designed a scheme to address infertility in underprivileged areas since the year 1394 (March 2015-March 2016), the report said.

So that Barekat insurance company has provided financial aids to infertile couples in underdeveloped areas for three years.

So far some 9,619 couples suffering infertility have been identified in rural areas of which 4,552 are referred to fertility centers. 

Intrauterine insemination (IUI), a fertility treatment that involves placing sperm inside a woman's uterus to facilitate fertilization, In vitro fertilization (IVF), a process of fertilization where an egg is combined with sperm outside the body, in vitro ("in glass"), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), an in vitro fertilization procedure in which a single sperm cell is injected directly into the cytoplasm of an egg, as well as medications, etc. to treat infertility are offered to these couples. 

So far some 225 billion rials (nearly $5.4 million) has been allocated to the scheme. Moreover, in addition to infertility treatment costs the hospital birth costs are covered by the Barekat insurance, the report highlighted.

Infertile couples can refer to Barekat insurance agents in local centers in all provinces nationwide to use the services free of charge.

MQ/MG