PUTRAJAYA, Sept 29 — The National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), in collaboration with science and technology company MERCK Malaysia, launched a comprehensive module today to equip primary healthcare practitioners with the knowledge and skills needed to address fertility and subfertility issues in the country.
Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the Infertility Counselling Module for Primary Care was developed to address gaps in existing services by equipping healthcare practitioners with not only clinical treatment knowledge but also counselling skills and the ability to provide emotional support to couples experiencing difficulties conceiving.
It was formulated with input from experts from various sectors to ensure it could serve as an effective early reference tool at the primary healthcare level.
“Experts from various fields have come together, but clinical expertise alone is not enough without the skills to address patients’ emotional needs. Many couples face emotional stress and depression, and this is where counselling support needs to be strengthened through the module.
“Through this module, referrals between different sectors, including the private and corporate sectors, can be streamlined, enabling patients to gain access to appropriate treatment, early intervention, and medication,” she said after opening the National Reproductive Health Symposium 2026.
Nancy emphasised that awareness of fertility issues must be raised across society, as they should not be viewed as an issue affecting women alone.
A World Health Organisation study involving 8,500 couples found that male factors contributed wholly or partially to 45.1 per cent of infertility cases, while LPPKN data on subfertility showed that 60 per cent of semen analyses conducted between 2010 and 2019 recorded abnormal results.
Therefore, she urged couples to undergo fertility assessments and seek treatment earlier, noting that 44.2 per cent of couples only seek treatment after trying to conceive for more than five years.
“Society often assumes that infertility is caused only by women, when men also need to be aware of fertility issues and be open to seeking help if they have fertility problems,” Nancy said.
On fertility assistance initiatives under Budget 2027, the minister noted that funding for fertility treatments such as intrauterine insemination had already been included annually under the ministry’s existing allocation through LPPKN.
