Malta ranked 15 out of 43 countries for successful IVF treatment policies

Malta has ranked 15 out of 43 European countries with a score of 71% in the Atlas of Fertility Treatment Policies, a comparative index.

The atlas, a joint initiative between Fertility Europe, a lobby group, and the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, classifies Malta as having a “very good” score in the same category as England, Sweden, Spain, Finland and Demark.

The island is also ahead of other countries that have been offering IVF services for much longer, such as Germany, Italy, Ireland and Cyprus.

The report uses three indicators. The first indicator focuses on legislation that includes regulation and available treatments. Malta passed 14 out of the 18 sections after failing to provide PGT testing and strictly anonymous gamete and embryo donation.

Regarding public funding, Malta scored high as IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection are partially funded by the government. 

Lastly, the island scored low regarding patients' perspectives as it does not provide a state-funded fertility education programme, and an infertility patients association does not exist.

However, Malta was awarded points for providing psychological support.

In 2021, 41 pregnancies resulted from IVF, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Monday when visiting the offices of the Embryo Protection Authority (EPA).

Fearne said that it was a positive year for EPA and the number of pregnancies was higher than in 2020.

According to the 2020 annual report on fertility treatments released by the health authorities, the take-home baby rate for 2020 was 16.8% resulting in a 1.5% decrease over 2019. The annual report for 2021 has not yet been published.

Last year, the authority relocated to a new building.