Interreg contributes to creating life. A claim that hold truth when talking about the cross boarder ReproUnion project.
Involuntary childlessness is a societal problem that today affects between 15 and 25 percent of all couples wishing to have children. In the future, even more people are expected to be affected by infertility, partly due to age, lifestyle, and environmental impact.
– When the birth rate falls below 2.1 children per woman—which is the case in many European countries, including both Sweden and Denmark—it is not possible to maintain the population as it is today. This will have various consequences for society. Some argue that it may have a beneficial impact on the environment, but at the same time, underpopulation is a major concern in many countries, says Kristine Koppelhus.
She is the project manager for ReproUnion, a collaborative project with stakeholders in the Øresund region, which for more than ten years has received EU funding through Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak for their work against involuntary childlessness. A couple of years ago, when ReproUnion summarized their results from the past decade, they counted 30 research projects and established fertility counseling where over 3,500 couples have received personal advice on fertility. The partnership estimates that more than 300 children have been born thanks to various initiatives from ReproUnion.
Featured by Euro News
When the TV channel Euronews, in collaboration with the European Commission, sought to highlight projects that provide exceptional value for the people of Europe, ReproUnion was chosen. In the episode, the project’s researchers discuss the fertility challenges and how they are gaining new insights through the collection of data and biological samples in the unique ReproUnion Biobank and Infertility Cohort (RUBIC). Insights that can eventually contribute to innovative solutions.
A Danish couple who received help through RUBIC is also interviewed in the report. Over 1,400 infertile couples from both sides of the Øresund have participated in RUBIC, and the collection of data and samples continues in both Sweden and Denmark.
Platform for Multiple Solutions
Currently, the project “ReproUnion – Platform for Driving Reproductive Health Innovation” is ongoing. The project aims to strengthen cooperation between stakeholders working on infertility issues in the Øresund region. This includes academic institutions, hospitals, the regions of Skåne and the Capital Region of Denmark, as well as the pharmaceutical industry.
“With the ReproUnion innovation platform, we strive to develop new preventive solutions, diagnostic kits, and/or treatments. Initiatives that will hopefully help us better predict the causes of infertility, target treatments, and thereby improve the success rate of infertility treatments, which is part of the complex puzzle of declining birth rates,” says Kristine Koppelhus.
The news was featured in Danish by Interret – Projekt gør drømmen om børn til virkelighed
