Every prospective parent who wants to pursue the surrogacy method has one question that they want answers to: ‘What is true surrogacy cost in Zambia? Is it worth having it?’

Yes, having surrogacy is worth it, and millions have become parents through it.  Despite the presence of limited infertility treatment infrastructures, Zambia offers one of the highest affordable surrogacy cost ranges as compared to other African Nations.

Medical expenses, legal expenses, involvement of a surrogacy contract, agency role, surrogate mother compensations, etc, are some of the main factors that influence the overall cost for surrogacy. 

Through this article, we are going to delve into these important factors that help in making the overall surrogacy cost in Zambia. 

An Overview of Surrogacy in Zambia

Surrogacy is a very well-known and widely accepted reproductive technology. It is a method to help infertile couples pave the way to parenthood, where they approach another woman to carry the pregnancy for them. 

In this, the woman will be known as a surrogate mother. She will go into the surrogacy contract and carry the pregnancy & deliver the child. The surrogate will either get monetary benefits, which is known as commercial surrogacy. If not, it will be known as altruistic surrogacy. 

Surrogacy is commonly practiced in two forms which are the Traditional way or the Gestational way. 

• Traditional (Conventional) Method: It is an old way to practice the surrogacy method, where the surrogate will be impregnated with the artificial insemination method. Here, in this, she will share the genetic link to the child for the usage of her eggs with the sperms of the intended father’s sperm, for fertilization. 
• Gestational Method: It is a modern way to practice the surrogacy method and is widely accepted by the intended parents. The surrogate will be impregnated with an IVF procedure. Here, in this, she will not share any genetic link to the child as for fertilization, the eggs & sperm will be used from the intended couples or either from the donor. 

But, it is important to note that not all can go for the surrogacy method. There are some medical and eligibility conditions that need to be met for the surrogacy procedure anywhere in the world. 

Legal Status of Surrogacy in Zambia

Considering the current timeline, Zambia doesn’t have the proper surrogacy regulations or clear laws regarding its practices in the country. The country’s legal authorities haven’t prohibited the practice of surrogacy practices nor penalized it those practicing it in the country. It is to be considered that currently, the surrogacy method is practiced in a ‘grey area’. 

However, the surrogate child has been protected under the Children’s Code of 2022, which usually legally recognizes the child born through surrogacy. This Code, protects the child’s rights and is entirely focused on the interests of the child born through the surrogacy method. 

However, several reputed surrogacy centers are currently offering surrogacy methods and many other advanced assisted reproductive treatments for the common people while also offering international services. 

However, one needs to consult with local legal professionals in order to get a better understanding of the legal complexities and their overall cost in Zambia. It is important to draft the proper legal surrogacy contracts by the legal professionals, that can help to protect each party’s rights and expectations.  

Surrogacy in Other Neighbouring African Nations

Surrogacy in South Africa: South Africa has become of the increasingly popular nations for international surrogacy. The country has some clear laws & regulations with the dedicated top surrogacy centers. 

Surrogacy in Kenya: Kenya is one of the several African nations where the regulations are not fully present but surrogacy services will be widely offered for the common people and international couples. 

Surrogacy in Nigeria: Nigeria is also considered as surrogacy surrogacy-friendly nation that also offers a diverse range of Assisted Reproductive Services. 

Surrogacy in Ghana: Ghana is also offering international surrogacy options with the affordability factor and easy availability of surrogate mothers. 

The Surrogacy Cost in Zambia

The surrogacy cost in Zambia would ranges between ZK343,000 to ZK665,000 or $12,000 – $23,000. However, there is a still lack of advanced medical infrastructure and its accessibility to the common people can shot up the overall pricing for the surrogacy method. 

However, it is important to note that the actual costing will be differ from these estimated ones. As one’s infertility complexity & age are the important factors with the associated cost. one can manage up the overall surrogacy cost by understanding deep about the included cost components, which we are going to discuss. 

Surrogacy Cost Breakup

Here is the cost breakup table which makes up the overall surrogacy cost in Zambia. 

Important Surrogacy Cost Component	Cost Range (Zambian  Kwacha (ZK))	Cost Range (USD)
Surrogate Mother Reimbursement	ZK150,000 – ZK300,000	$5,000 – $12,000
IVF Procedure (per cycle)	ZK43,000 – ZK48,000	$2,000 – $5,500
Medical Expenses (Exclude IVF)	ZK70,000 – ZK140,000	$2,500 – $5,000
Legal Process	ZK30,000 – ZK80,000	$1,000 – $2,700
Agencies/Clinics	ZK30,000 – ZK85,000	$1,500 – $3,000
Additional/Unexpected Cost	ZK50,000 – ZK100,000	$1,700 – $3,500

Here are the provided detailed descriptions of each of the cost components. 

• Surrogate Mother Reimbursement: This usually includes the cost of her examinations, diagnostic testing, ultrausounds, pre-natal care, monetary rewards(commercial), health insurance, etc. This solely depends on the socio-economic background and her negotiable agreements. 
• IVF or Aritificial Insemination procedure cost: This usually includes the cost of Medications for Ovarian hyperstimuation, Oocyte & Sperm Collection, Fertilization Process, Embryo Formation & its Culture, Embryo Transferal Procedure, etc. 
• Medical Expenses: These medical expeses cost covers the every counselling sessions, medications, regular checkups & medical assitance during pre-natal care, delivery charges (Normal/C-section), etc. 
• Legal Process: This includes the fees charged by the legal professionals, drafting & agreement costing, procedure documentation, Establishment of parentage transfer, etc. 
• Agencies/Clinics: These costs are incurred for being the administrator who manages and maintains coordination between both parties. 
• Additional/Unexpected Cost: This cost includes the cost of any additional procedure such as Genetic testing, ICSI/IMSI, Cryopreservations, opting for donor support, etc. Each added one will be included as a separate charge.

Factors Affecting the Surrogacy Cost

Many factors can impact the overall cost incurred by the intended couples for the surrogacy procedure. 

1. The particular type of surrogacy opted.
2. Legal Complexity & Availability of Advanced Medical Infrastructure
3. Each medical expenses
4. Surrogate Expenses & Health Insurance
5. Reputation of the surrogacy center as well as fertility clinics
6. Multiple IVF attempts 
7. Opting for support of other Assisted Reproductive Technologies 
8. Region & City in Zambia you can expect a little higher cost in major cities such as Lusaka, Livingstone, Ndola, etc.

Why ‘Med Fertility Center Zambia’ Could Be Your Best & Affordable Choice for Surrogacy?

Med Fertility Center Zambia is one of the leading IVF & surrogacy centers in the country. The center has the mission to provide compassionate & comprehensive ‘Reproductive Care’. The center can complete its mission with the advanced medical infrastructure (state-of-the-art) & infertility experts. The center wants to remove the obstacles of infertility from your life to achieve the dream of parenthood life. 

Here’s why you should trust us for your infertility treatments, especially for IVF & Surrogacy:

1. We have the excellence of over 30 years in the infertility treatment field.
2. We carefully understand the needs of the potential couples to provide an excellent medically customized plan. 
3. We have the compassion to blend cutting-edge medical science with compassionate care & solution care. 
4. We have provided guidance to over 2,500 successful IVF pregnancies.
5. We also understand that ‘love is for everyone’ that’s why we offer surrogacy & IVF to the LGBTQ community. 

We facilitate the proper guidance throughout the journey for you to create the family you have envisioned. Reach out to our website to know more, https://medfertility.com/. 

Ready to book a free consultation with us, call us here, +254 701 669315, or email your query to info@medfertility.com

Conclusions

This article has helped you to gain a good understanding of the surrogacy procedure. Further, we have provided the estimated surrogacy cost in Zambia, which comprises several important cost components such as surrogate compensation, medical charges, legal procedures charges, surrogacy center or agency fees, etc. 

Surrogacy costs might seem unaffordable, but with proper financial planning, it could be manageable. Using different financial options could be a wiser step. However, you need to study about it more or enquire about it with your trusted infertility centers.

Begin with a very small step towards it- consultation sessions. 

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