In this article, we are going to look at the cost of IVF in Ghana but before we go ahead let’s talk about the history of IVF in Ghana. Ever since the first IVF baby was in 1995 in Ghana, there has been a rapid growth of IVF clinics in Ghana offering IVF and other reproductive technologies. Currently, there are a good number of reputable private IVF clinics in the country with annual success rates of about 62.16% and 75% in IVF treatment and IUI pregnancy. 
Cost of IVF in Ghana
IVF treatment in Ghana is quite expensive with most clinics charging from GH₵63,000 – GH₵96,000 for the entire process. To ease the burden of paying for the treatment, some clinics offer installment payment options (50% or 75% before commencing treatment). The balance is paid during or after the completion of the treatment.
Below is a breakdown of the cost of IVF in Ghana.
Consultation with Fertility Specialist (charges vary – some clinics may do this for free)
Transvaginal Scanning GH₵1,700 – GH₵1,800
Diagnostic Screening for own egg GH₵2,500 – GH₵3,000
Diagnostic Screening for Donor egg GH₵2,000 – GH₵2,200
Re-assessment GH₵2,000 – GH₵2,200
Follow up Consultation GH₵700 – GH₵900
Re-Surrogacy IVF treatment fees GH₵240,000 – GH₵250,000
Surrogate Assessment GH₵1,800 – GH₵2,000
Legal Fee GH₵3,100 – GH₵3,500
Scheduling fees GH₵1,800 – GH₵2,000
Sono for Surrogate GH₵900 – GH₵1,000
Drugs for surrogate & donor GH₵18,00 – GH₵20,00
Note: Actual costs may vary depending on the clinic, the reputation of the clinic and the success of the IVF treatment.
Factors Affect the Cost of IVF Treatment in Ghana
The cost of IVF treatment will not only vary from clinic to clinic but also from couple to couple. In some couples, the treatment would be successful in the first trial, but in others, it would take as many as three trials (some couples might not get desirable results in the end). Couples that go for more trials incur more costs.
Also, certain issues like abnormalities in the semen of the male partner or abnormalities in the female reproductive anatomy could mean the couple will have to spend more on tests.
Below are some of the factors that affect the cost of IVF treatment in Ghana
Age
Age is one of the most important factors to consider when planning to try out IVF treatment. This is because the age of the couple determines the success rate of IVF treatment. Generally, younger couples have a better chance of getting pregnant in the first trial than older couples. This is because the viability of the sperm and egg cell reduces as couples grow older thereby reducing the chances of success.
Below is the success rate for IVF treatment based on age.
- For couples below 35 40 % – 45 %
- For couples between 35 – 39 years 30 % – 35%
- For couples older than 40 years 10% or less
Luckily couples without viable eggs and sperm won’t have to spend so much money to get the results they need as some facilities make provision for eggs and sperm from donors. These couples would have to purchase these cells from the facilities or they can save costs by asking their family members or close friends to donate eggs and sperm for the treatment.
Couple Investigations
- Semen Analysis: Before starting treatment, the male partner will be required to produce semen for analysis on-site at any place of comfort. Male partners who prefer to produce the semen outside the medical facility should ensure that it is processed by the embryologist in the facility within an hour or it will be rejected.
The result of the analysis will help the facility decide on the right treatment for the couple.
- Evaluation of Reproductive Anatomy: The female partner will be required to undergo transvaginal scanning to exclude abnormalities of the female reproductive anatomy and the ovaries such as endometrial polyps, fibroids, diminished ovarian reserve, ovarian cysts, adenomyosis, and endometriomas.
- Evaluation of Ovulatory Function: The facility will also need to evaluate the ovulatory function of the female through hormonal assays such as serum Day 2 – 5 serum FSH, mid-luteal progesterone. LH and thyroid function tests.
- Evaluation of Tubal Patency: The facility will perform a test to confirm any suspected tubal abnormalities. In some cases, this test will be done to investigate properly complex cases. Some facilities use methods like Saline Infusion Sonohysterosalpinography (SIS) or Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) to perform this test.
Cycle
In some cases, a couple will have to undergo two or three cycles to get the desired results. Some clinics will charge close to nothing for subsequent cycles while others will charge almost twice the price.
Here is a breakdown of the costs for known and unknown donors.
Unknown Donor
Single-cycle GH₵36,600 – GH₵40,000
Two cycles GH₵60,000 – GH₵65,000
Three cycles GH₵80,000 – GH₵90,000
Subsequent repeated cycles GH₵30,000 – GH₵40,000
Known Donor
Single-cycle GH₵30,000 – GH₵40,000
Two cycles GH₵57,000 – GH₵60,000
Three cycles GH₵80,000 – GH₵85,000
Subsequent repeated cycles GH₵30,000 – GH₵35,000
Donor Assessment GH₵1,800 – GH₵2,000
Drugs
During the course of treatment, the couple would have to purchase drugs. Just like the treatment itself, the cost of the drugs on the high side. Drugs and supplements used in the IVF treatment would cost as much as GH₵8,000.
If the couple opts for surrogacy, they would have to spend more on drugs. In this case, they would be paying for drugs for both the surrogate and the donor. Drugs and supplements, in this case, could cost well over GH₵16,000.
Cryopreservation
Cryopreservation is a process used to preserve living cells and tissues. In IVF treatment, this preservation method is used to freeze embryo and sperm cells. These cells can be reused if the first IVF treatment fails.
Below are the estimates of Cryopreservation:
Embryo freezing per Embryo per quarter GH₵900 – GH₵1,000
Sperm freezing per quarter (per sample) GH₵1,800 – GH₵2,000
Sperm freezing per month (per sample) GH₵700 – GH₵900
Sperm freezing less than 1 month (per sample) GH₵400 – GH₵500
Legal Fees
Most couples won’t have to worry about legal fees, but if your IVF treatment involves surrogacy then you would have to meet up with the legal fees before starting treatment.
