Poland's Parliament Takes Steps to Reinstate Funding for IVF
Poland’s parliament, with a new majority after recent elections, is reversing a 2015 decision by the previous nationalist administration that stopped state-funded in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The restoration of these funds is among the first steps taken by the new parliament and signals broader liberal social reforms anticipated ahead.
On Wednesday, lawmakers voted to bring back IVF funding, spearheaded by the legislature's new opposition speaker, Szymon Hołownia. The Civic Coalition’s MP, Agnieszka Pomaska, announced that an annual budget of at least 500 million złoty (€115 million) starting in 2024 would ensure broad access to IVF treatments.
This move addresses inequalities that had arisen after state funding was cut, leaving IVF affordable mostly to the affluent. The lack of state support had prompted some regional governments to establish smaller funding programs, but these could not match the scale needed due to limited resources.
The previous government, led by PiS, had favored naprotechnology, a less effective fertility treatment favored by the Catholic Church, quite controversial due to ethical concerns regarding the handling of embryos.
Although the bill passed the parliament, it awaits the signature of President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the defeated PiS party. However, Marcin Mastalerek, the president's chief of staff, expressed optimism that Duda would endorse the legislation.
On Wednesday, lawmakers voted to bring back IVF funding, spearheaded by the legislature's new opposition speaker, Szymon Hołownia. The Civic Coalition’s MP, Agnieszka Pomaska, announced that an annual budget of at least 500 million złoty (€115 million) starting in 2024 would ensure broad access to IVF treatments.
This move addresses inequalities that had arisen after state funding was cut, leaving IVF affordable mostly to the affluent. The lack of state support had prompted some regional governments to establish smaller funding programs, but these could not match the scale needed due to limited resources.
The previous government, led by PiS, had favored naprotechnology, a less effective fertility treatment favored by the Catholic Church, quite controversial due to ethical concerns regarding the handling of embryos.
Although the bill passed the parliament, it awaits the signature of President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the defeated PiS party. However, Marcin Mastalerek, the president's chief of staff, expressed optimism that Duda would endorse the legislation.
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