In a lecture dedicated to Mr Patrick Steptoe, one of the two scientific fathers of ART, and to Mother Nobody, a name time and again given to infertile women in Africa, the speaker (Silke Dyer) ventured from the early beginnings of IVF in Great Britain, across the current landscape of ART in Africa, and into the question how ART can be made more sustainable at global level. Just as the forefathers of ART required inspiration, cooperation and perseverance to achieve their positive vision for a better future, so do we in order to find avenues for a just transition towards more equitable access to quality care.