A total of 170 couples received IVF treatment in Malta between March 2013 and last March. They included 21 foreign couples, who all had their treatment in the private sector.

Of the 170 couples receiving the treatment, 45 couples became pregnant, three with a multiple twin pregnancy.

The figures were presented in the Embryo Protection Authority’s annual report, which it presented to Health Parliamentary Secretary for Health Chris Fearne.  

The authority reported that since its appointment in May 2013, it received 142 requests for IVF/ICSI procedures. It approved 138 requests and declined four, the latter all from the private sector.

Three women were over the maximum age allowed by the EPA Protocol and one woman was under the minimum age allowed.

One of the authority’s functions is to consider requests for the attempt of fertilisation of three oocytes (female eggs) instead of twooocytes.  The authority approved 38 applications out of the 52 received from clinics to attempt to fertilise threeoocytes.

These decisions were taken together with representatives from the Paediatrics Association and the Obstetrics and Gynaecologists Association as stipulated in the law.

The authority also reported that as from July 2013 the private sector clinics started gamete cryopreservation (freezing) both oocytes and sperm freezing are being held.

Between July 2013 and March, 86 couples have made use of this service.