Nairobi, July 16 -- Kenya's fertility industry is now one of the country's fastest-growing specialised healthcare markets, with over 15 established in vitro fertilisation (IVF) centres now operating nationwide, up from just a handful two decades ago.

IVF is a form of assisted reproductive technology where a woman's egg and a man's sperm are combined in a laboratory and the resultant embryo is then transferred into the uterus to establish a pregnancy.

However, rising IVF treatment costs mean that many interested patients are locked out of such procedures.

A standard IVF cycle costs around Sh600,000, covering hormone stimulation through to the pregnancy test but excluding diagnostic investigations. Depending on the patient's condition an...