M42 group’s Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children has entered a partnership with UK-based ProFaM to provide reproductive health services.

The partnership will involve conducting ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC), offering a solution for women seeking to safeguard their fertility or to naturally postpone the onset of menopause.

The OTC procedure entails the preservation of a piece of ovarian tissue, preferably under the age of 35, which can be re-implanted later to maintain hormonal balance and postpone menopause.

This method is less invasive than egg freezing as it does not require hormone stimulation or an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment cycle.

The partnership addresses the increasing demand for alternative solutions in hormonal health and fertility preservation. It provides women with more control over their reproductive choices.

Danat Al Emarat for Women & Children CEO Dr Summia Zaher said: “Danat Al Emarat Hospital is setting a regional benchmark for women and children’s health and is uniquely placed to address their unmet needs and contribute to regional progress in healthcare.”

The project is scheduled to launch in the first half of this year.

OTC will initially be available as an elective service and will later be incorporated into laparoscopic procedures for conditions such as endometriosis.

Abu Dhabi Biobank will play a crucial role in this initiative by cryogenically storing the ovarian tissue at -196°C and providing the samples back to the physicians at Danat Al Emarat Hospital as needed.

ProFaM co-founder Simon Fishel said: "This collaboration marks a transformative moment for women’s health in the UAE and beyond."

Danat Al Emarat for Women & Children consultant gynaecologist and advanced laparoscopic surgeon Dr Zahid Khan is leading the project.

The hospital, in collaboration with ProFaM, plans to extend this service across other M42 healthcare assets in the Middle East and beyond.