A national model for family planning and men's health services has been developed in Belarus, reported Lyudmila Lehkaya, Head of the Department of Maternal and Child Health Care of the Ministry of Health, during a round table discussion "New Paradigm of Sustainable Demographic Development: Key Elements" in Minsk, according to a BELTA correspondent.
"I think we will send it to all interested government bodies early next week and post it for public discussion. All comments and suggestions will definitely be taken into account," Lyudmila Lehkaya said.
A large section is dedicated to men's health. According to data based on patient referrals, in 2018, 110.5 cases of male infertility per 100,000 men over 18 years of age were registered in Belarus. Among women, this figure is almost eight times higher – 853.7 cases. "It's not that there are fewer infertile men, it's just that they seek our help much less often," explained the head of the department. In particular, this is due to the fact that male infertility is a taboo subject in many countries. Nevertheless, according to operational data, the proportion of male infertility in infertile families in Belarus is 40%.
At the session "Women's Health and Well-being: Growth Points," the Ministry of Health presented the state health policy in the aspect of women's health.
The round table was organised with the support of the National Coordinator for the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals for the UNDP/UNICEF/UNFPA project "Support for the Functioning of the Governance Architecture for the Process of Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the Republic of Belarus," whose national executive agency is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.