Second IVF baby born at Mulago Hospital brings affordable fertility care hope
The development, being hailed as a game-changer in the country’s fertility landscape, saw the birth of a 3.6kg baby girl at the government facility that only started offering IVF services in August 2024.
The baby girl, born healthy and weighing 3.6 kilograms, was safely delivered at the Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital in Kampala that only began offering IVF services in August 2024. (Courtesy photo)
By John Musenze
Journalists @New Vision
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A second baby conceived through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) has been delivered at the Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital in Kampala.
The development, being hailed as a game-changer in the country’s fertility landscape, saw the birth of a 3.6kg baby girl at the government facility that only started offering IVF services in August 2024. The announcement was made via social media on Thursday, July 31, 2025, by the health ministry's permanent secretary, Dr Diana Atwine.
The successful delivery marks another significant milestone for Uganda’s only public hospital offering IVF services, a sector previously dominated exclusively by expensive private fertility clinics. (Courtesy photo)
IVF (in vitro fertilisation) is a type of fertility treatment where eggs are combined with sperm outside of your body in a lab. It's an infertility treatment, a condition in which you can't get pregnant after at least a year of trying for most couples. Mayo Clinic says the process involves stimulating the ovaries, retrieving eggs, fertilising them with sperm, and then transferring the resulting embryo(s) into the woman's uterus. It's a common infertility treatment when other methods have been unsuccessful.
“Great news! Our team at Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital has successfully delivered its second baby conceived through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF),” Atwine posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“The hospital began offering IVF services in August 2024, and we are thrilled to report 11 confirmed pregnancies so far. A milestone worth celebrating as we continue expanding access to advanced specialised services in the country.”
The hospital also shared the joy online, “We’re thrilled to announce the safe delivery of our second IVF baby at Mulago Specialised Women & Neonatal Hospital! A milestone in affordable, public fertility care, bringing renewed hope to families facing fertility challenges.”
The baby girl, with her parents, born healthy and weighing 3.6 kilograms. (Courtesy photo)
The successful delivery is a milestone for Uganda’s only public hospital offering IVF services, a sector previously dominated exclusively by expensive private fertility clinics. For years, access to assisted reproductive technologies like IVF has remained a preserve of the wealthy, with the cost of a single cycle ranging between shillings 15 million and 40 million at private facilities, far beyond the reach of many ordinary Ugandans.
Since launching the service nearly a year ago, the hospital has confirmed 11 ongoing pregnancies through IVF, a testament to both the demand and the trust families are placing in the public facility.
Infertility remains a deeply distressing and often taboo issue across Uganda. Studies estimate that about 25% of couples in the country face challenges conceiving, with many women bearing the brunt of societal blame, stigma, or abandonment.