World Fertility Awards to Convene Top Reproductive Leaders Amid Shifting Global Population Decline

Ahead of the 10-year anniversary of pregnantish in January, this landmark event celebrates not just the future of fertility—but the future of humanity.

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For many today, family building is a complex, intentional chapter of life driven by reproductive science and medicine. To celebrate this modern landscape, pregnantish announced the second annual World Fertility Awards (WFA) Thought-Leader Press Event will take place at the Harvard Club in New York City on December 8.

This landmark event celebrates not just the future of fertility—but the future of humanity. Estimates for babies born via IVF worldwide range between 13 million and 17 million, and with global fertility dropping below replacement rates, the number is growing each year.

Coinciding with the world's natural conception peak in December, the WFAs use this date to spotlight a different reality: for millions, family building relies on science, technology, and medical innovation.

According to relationship expert Andrea Syrtash, founder of The World Fertility Project and pregnantish, the producer of the event: "The old nursery rhyme, 'First comes love, then marriage, then the baby carriage,' is an outdated narrative. As we step into 2027, many people are skipping steps, missing steps, and mixing up the order."

The WFAs elevate the global conversation around infertility, celebrating the changemakers driving the field forward. The event reflects pregnantish's core philosophy: the future of fertility cannot be shaped by one sector alone. It requires deep collaboration among scientists, storytellers, clinicians, and consumers.

Digital health platform Noom and its Medical Director, OB-GYN Dr. Karen Mann, will participate to explore whole health in reproductive care.

"Fertility touches so many dimensions of health—hormones, metabolism, weight, behavior, and emotional wellbeing," says Mann. "The future of women's health depends on moving beyond silos and caring for the whole person."

"The future of fertility is not just a medical story," adds Syrtash. "It's a cultural story, a technology story, an access story and ultimately, a human story."

Alongside popular global fertility advocates and top healthcare professionals, the WFAs spotlight voices from three major fertility clinic groups: IVI Institute, US Fertility, and Indira IVF.

As the world's most populous nation, India faces a growing infertility challenge, with an estimated 29-30 million couples affected.

Vinesh Gadhia, CEO – M&A Platform, Indira IVF, explains: "The major challenges in India's fertility landscape are awareness, affordability, social acceptance and accessibility. Bridging these gaps is critical to making the dream of parenthood achievable for millions"

Dr. Kshitiz Murdia, Wholetime Director & CEO, Indira IVF shares: "What was once available to a privileged few is now within reach of families across cities and smaller towns. By combining clinical excellence, consistent clinical practices and scale, we have not merely expanded access to IVF—we have standardized fertility care at scale."

Technology takes center stage as pioneering reproductive scientist Professor David Gardner—best known for the Gardner embryo grading system—receives the 2026 Legacy Award, named this year after 2025 honoree Jacques Cohen.

Gardner shares, "Having worked in IVF for over 40 years, I can say without hesitation that we are entering the next era of IVF, facilitated by new technologies and advancements from areas of innovation not normally associated with reproductive medicine…I am confident that such approaches will not only increase clinical success, but will help to standardize the IVF process and make it more available to the growing number of people who seek help to have their families."

Prominent tech and AI journalist Jennifer Strong will moderate a Future of Fertility panel featuring thought leaders including US Fertility Medical Director Dr. Kate Devine, who says, "This event is about raising awareness for the 1 in 6 people who struggle to build their families … automation, standardization, and responsible AI combined with good science and rigorous validation hold the potential to help more patients build the families they dream of."

IVI Institute returns with Global CEO Javier Sanchez-Prieto sharing insights from their new Fertility Barometer study of 24,000 women across nine nations, revealing critical hopes and barriers to modern family building.

Global market leader EMD Serono supports the event, reflecting its commitment to advancing reproductive medicine and supporting patients throughout their treatment journeys.

With seasoned broadcaster Jenna Wolfe conducting interviews on site, members of the Association of Healthcare Journalists, and top reporters joining from international outlets, the topics discussed will shape the media landscape and public discourse surrounding reproductive health for the year ahead and beyond.

LEARN MORE:

To learn more about the event, visit: https://www.worldfertilityawards.com/ 

PARTNERSHIPS & MEDIA INQUIRIES:

Limited partnerships are available. For sponsorship decks or media credentials, email: [email protected]

MULTIMEDIA:

Official Video Spotlight (YouTube):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th0uZmXkP0Y

LOGO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/26-1021-s2p-wfawards-300dpi.webp 

This release was issued through Send2Press® on behalf of the news source. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.send2press.com/.

SOURCE pregnantish, Inc.