Lawmakers to seek higher fertility treatment subsidies

Lawmakers on Thursday said they will seek higher state subsidies for assisted reproduction, in a bid to encourage this form of gestation, as one in six couples were said to face infertility issues.

MPs have begun discussing an amendment to the law governing assisted reproduction. They will get into the nuts and bolts next week, when finance ministry officials will be summoned to address the economic aspect.

“This bill modernises, improves and greatly facilitates women, couples and single persons to have a baby,” Savvia Orfanidou, acting chair of the House health committee said in comments to the media.

She welcomed the fact that the bill will give single women the right to use a surrogate mother. In addition, single persons will no longer be required to obtain a permit from a medical council to proceed with ex vitro fertilisation.

The proposed changes also involve raising reproductive age from 50 to 53 for the purposes of assisted reproduction.

“Again and again, we have raised the issue of increasing subsidies for ex-vitro fertilisation, in order to help women in need, women who go through this process two, three, four, sometimes even five times,” Orfanidou said.

“Other than the psychological and physical problem, there’s also the financial problem and we are ready to support any effort to have this amount [the subsidy] increased.”

On her part, Akel MP Marina Nicolaou said the state should both recognise and safeguard reproductive rights and support every woman’s access to high-quality healthcare relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and medically assisted reproduction.

Diko’s Chrysanthos Savvides noted that the bill in question is headed in the right direction. He said one in six couples have infertility issues.

The amended law will help families who cannot naturally have children.

Dipa MP Michalis Yiakoumis stated that everyone has the right to childbirth and reproduction. Financial reasons should not stand in the way of having a baby.