The very highly developed technologies that are used to treat infertility are geared to providing services to couples in countries where salaries and living standards are high, or where public funding or health insurance cover some of the cost of treatment. Modern Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments involve the use of expensive drugs to stimulate egg production, costly consumables and sophisticated laboratory equipment. Most clinics are run in the private sector and salaries for specialist gynecologists, endocrinologists, laboratory and, nursing staff, counsellors, management and financial advisors contribute to the high cost of ART. These costs need to be recovered from patients, so conventional ART is therefore unattainable for most couples in developing countries.

The Low Cost IVF Foundation is promoting the provision of simplified clinical IVF services for a minimal cost that will allow couples, who could otherwise not afford it, access to IVF treatment for their infertility.  The Foundation aims to demonstrate that the material costs for a cycle of IVF can be less than 200 €.  The Foundation seeks to identify donors that will provide funds to establish Low Cost IVF Clinics in low resource economies where  having a child greatly improves the social status of a of woman and reduces her risk of being rejected from her family and community and left destitute. The costs will vary from country to country, but the Foundation’s objective is to minimize costs to make treatment affordable to a much greater number of people.

The Low Cost IVF Foundation was incorporated on 19th February 2007 in Lugano (Switzerland) under the auspices of the Swiss Ministry of Internal Affairs.