Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/584253
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 OCTOBER 2015 News 9 MIRIAM DALLI THE live-birth rate of Malta's cur- rent system of assisted reproduc- tion – oocyte vitrification – stands at just 8% of the 51 IVF cycles completed on the national health service between January 2014 and January 2015. The low rate of births from the system of freezing the ova, as op- posed to embryo freezing, is one of the factors informing the govern- ment's legislative drive to widen ac- cess to assisted reproductive tech- nology. "The rate of completed pregnan- cies is too small and we cannot leave it like this, especially with the availability of technology that can assist us," parliamentary secretary for health Chris Fearne said. In 2013, the government intro- duced in vitro fertilisation services on the NHS, setting strict limits on the fertilisation of eggs to two for each cycle. The law banned embryo freezing and sperm donation. The Labour government wants to review the law, to allow ART pa- tients to also have access to embryo 'vitrification'. In the 30 months since its intro- duction, there have been 411 IVF and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injec- tion (ICSI) cycles up to June 2015: 116 resulted in viable pregnancies. Despite the clinical pregnancy rate standing at 30%, Fearne says that the live birth rates have not been satisfactory. His inter-ministerial committee is looking into the introduction of embryo 'vitrification', which in contrast to the technology of slow freezing, is said to be a more efficient method for the cryopreservation of embryos. Fearne told MaltaToday that vit- rification provides a higher survival rate, and minimal deleterious effects on embryos when they are thawed, improving clinical outcomes. "Nine out of 10 embryos can survive the process in vitrification," the health secretary said. Additionally, there will be limits on the number of eggs that can be fertilised and implanted. But ethical issues over the fate of additional embryos that could be left 'unwanted' by parents is gar- nering an opposition to the govern- ment's amendment of the IVF law. Pro-life groups under the Malta Life Network were joined by former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi last Friday, who legislated the origi- nal Embryo Protection Act. During the debate on Friday, they warned they would collect the sig- natures necessary to request an abrogative referendum if the law is approved by MPs. Former PN leader Lawrence Gon- zi was unequivocal in his belief that freezing embryos was "equivalent to the destruction of life". "If such a law passes, it will repre- sent a conscious decision to end human life and will sow the seeds for abortion," Gonzi said. "The IVF law was passed in Parlia- ment unanimously after months of analysis and debate, and it is un- heard of for somebody to suddenly come up with an idea that will dis- card it all." Fearne has however taken issue with claims that embryo vitrifica- tion was akin to abortion. "Someone wrote that we are go- ing 'to flush down embryos', which is absolutely not the case. Embryo vitrification will be for parents who can't give birth to a child with the existing process," he said. He added that, at most, "only two embryos would be vitrified, and in exceptional cases." The chances of having a baby from the first cy- cle is of 30%, he added. "We are giving the possibility of life where there is none, with the assistance of technology," Fearne said. The couple would then have two options: return to a second preg- nancy or give the embryo up for adoption. The Embryo Protection Authority would then handle the adoption of the embryo. The government will also make it legal for gay women to become parents through either sperm do- nation, or to have access to IVF. "All women should have access to IVF, irrespective of their sexual orientation. Why should there be discrimination on something med- ical?" Fearne said. The government will be drawing a line at surrogacy. "I don't think surrogacy should not be considered at this stage." He also said the law will not be considering the introduction of pre-implantation genetic diagno- sis (PGD), a procedure that allows the identification of genetic defects within embryos created through IVF. Fearne said he expected the input from the bioethics committee will be important towards the formula- tion of the law, which will have to devise a system that allows embry- os to be put up for adoption. But the consultative committee is chaired by Labour MP Deborah Schembri, who in an interview with Sunday newspaper Illum admitted that she was against embryo freez- ing. Fearne however expressed con- fidence that the committee would operate professionally, without basing its decision on personal opinions. The bioethics committee is cur- rently analysing a report prepared by the inter-ministerial committee, which reviewed 20 submissions submitted during the consultation period. The inter-ministerial committee – which includes representatives of the health, justice and civil liberties ministries – is analysing sentences delivered by courts in Europe and the European Court of Human Rights on IVF. "The European case law will affect what legislation is enacted in Malta. This report will be presented to the Cabinet, follow- ing which a bill will be presented to parliament," Fearne said. The presentation of the report is expected in December. mdalli@mediatoday.com.mt Former Nationalist prime minister Lawrence Gonzi, under whom the Embryo Protection Act was introduced, has waded into the debate to support the opposition to Labour's intention to introduce embryo freezing TIM DIACONO THE National Commission for People with a Disability (KNPD) has insisted that all chil- dren, even those with severe impairments, should be included in mainstream class- rooms. "While it is not the easiest route, we believe that the inclusion of all children with diverse impairments is a goal that must be achieved," a KNPD spokesperson told MaltaToday. "Every child must be given the opportunity to learn the same curriculum to the best of their ability to ensure that these children are fully included and not just physically inte- grated into the same classroom as their non- disabled peers." The commission's response follows re- marks by Malta Union of Teachers president Kevin Bonello that not all children could be realistically expected to integrate into main- stream classes. "Some severely autistic children cannot concentrate for more than two minutes in a classroom," Bonello said on Reporter on Monday, insisting that parents shouldn't get to overrule teachers on decisions concerning the way their children are taught at schools. "Parents undoubtedly have an important role to play in educating their children, but teachers are education professionals," he said. "If a surgeon tells you that you need a kidney operation, you wouldn't question his opinion but go along with his professional advice. The same should hold true for teach- ers." But the KNPD claim that children with learning difficulties can learn the subjects taught at school, only through a different style of teaching than the mainstream. Their pro-flexibility argument is backed in principle by both Education Minister Evar- ist Bartolo and shadow education minister Therese Comodini Cachia. They also insist that the inclusion problem lies more heavily within the way children who may require a Learning Support Assist- ant are assessed. "Many people are given a one-to-one LSA when they do not need one, while other chil- dren who do require a LSA's services are not awarded one," a spokesperson for KNPD said. This rise in 'statemented' children [those certified as requiring an LSA], the commis- sion claimed, could be due to more and more parents seeking medical advice as to why their children are not academically perform- ing at the same high level as their peers. "It could be the case that the child simply finds the work harder to comprehend than their peers, a situation which may reverse itself given more time. The fact that all chil- dren, whether they have an impairment or not, learn at different rates is something that must be considered more carefully when assessing whether a child needs an LSA to assist them in the educational setting," the spokesperson added. Embryo vitrification 'necessary' due to low birth-rate from IVF KNPD: Teachers wrong over integration of disabled In 2014, only 8% of IVF pregnancies led to births: health secretary Chris Fearne says parents should be allowed to choose embryo freezing Parliamentary secretary for health Chris Fearne says the 8% live birth rate from IVF in 2014 is too low not to allow medics and parents choose the best IVF treatment for them