Infertility among migrant workers sparks health alarm in Nepal: Summary

What we know

• Nepali migrant workers returning from Gulf countries are increasingly facing infertility, with doctors linking it to years of working in extreme heat.
• Hospitals in Nepal are seeing a sharp rise in male infertility cases, and many of the patients are young men who spent long hours in the sun doing hard labour abroad.
• The country’s only government hospital offering affordable fertility treatment says half of its infertility patients are Gulf returnees, and some have zero sperm count.
• Strict visa rules prevent migrant workers from living with their families, and short home visits make fertility treatment difficult and emotionally taxing.
• Despite the health risks and family strain, many Nepalis feel forced to return to Gulf jobs due to a lack of opportunities at home.

What they said

Dr. Shree Prasad Adhikari, a hospital director and reproductive health specialist at the Infertility Centre of Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, said, “Working long hours in high heat, even the underwear traps warmth around the testicles, harming fertility.” Dr. Jwala Thapa, who is also an obstetrician and gynaecologist at the hospital, said, “Half of all our infertility cases daily come from Gulf returnees.”