Fertility Counts seeks to highlight the socio-economic impact of low birth rates on Asia-Pacific (APAC) economies. New Fertility Policy Toolkit, designed by Economist Impact and supported by Merck, proposes evidence-based policy interventions to build more family-friendly societies in APAC. LONDON, May 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ Merck, a leading science and technology company, today launched a new initiative, Fertility Counts, which seeks to address the social, economic and societal challenges associated with low birth rates in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The initiative is designed to provide research and resources to support policymakers to identify policy interventions that will be effective in building family-friendly societies. The birth rates of many APAC countries have dramatically declined in the last 70 years, impacting both population size and structure. Across the region, the average number of children born per woman has dropped threefold since 1960, from 5.4 in 1960 to 1.8