The Macao government will launch a new medical-assisted reproduction subsidy program on 1 December, as part of its broader plan to reverse the city’s falling birthrate.
According to a government statement published yesterday, the initiative is aimed at married Macao couples who satisfy the conditions and referral criteria for assisted reproductive technology.
Applicants will firstly undergo a preliminary clinical assessment after submitting the necessary documents. If found to be eligible, the couple will be referred to the Macao Union Hospital’s infertility department, where they will be given two cycles of free, first-generation in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or second-generation intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment.
During a press conference yesterday covered by multiple media outlets, the Health Bureau’s deputy head, Kwok Cheong U, said up to 100 applicants were expected. He also added that the bureau intends to keep the program in place “until the declining birth rate can be effectively controlled.”
[See more: Have more kids or Macao’s population will shrink, professor warns]
Meanwhile, the deputy director of the Macao Union Hospital, Lei Wai Seng, noted that applicants may have underlying conditions relating to diabetes and weight that need to be addressed before they can undergo the necessary infertility treatment. Lei mentioned that the authorities would not cover the cost of these health issues.
Couples who already have a child are still eligible, as authorities want residents to have additional children, Lei noted. Applicants can register at the Conde São Januário Hospital or via the Health Bureau’s dedicated website, which will launch on 1 December.
More information is available by calling 8390 8041 during office hours.
As with many developed economies, Macao’s birth rate has been in freefall, with one study showing that many young locals are choosing not to marry or have children for personal, career or financial reasons.
