Poland welcomes first birth since IVF policy change
A child conceived by in vitro fertilisation (IVF) was born in Poland on Wednesday, the first since President Andrzej Duda signed into law a bill which restored public funding for the fertility treatment.
Funding was previously slashed by the former conservative government in 2015.
The health ministry announced the birth in a post on X, stating that "the first girl has been born as a result of the government's IVF programme," adding that "This birth is an extraordinary moment that is proof of the progress and care for the health of families."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also remarked on the girl's birth in a video published on X. "We were all waiting for her, not just the happy parents," he said, adding that "their joy will be a good sign [...] for all other couples."
President Duda's decision to sign the bill providing public funding for IVF last year was met with resistance from Polish conservatives, including the head of Poland's Catholic church, who attempted to block the bill, referring to IVF as "experimentation on man."
However, Duda's office, whose old party is the conservative and Catholic Law and Justice (PiS), described it as a potential solution to Poland's "demographic challenges", as Poland has seen its birth rate decrease in recent years.
In an interview with Polish broadcaster TOK FM, Polish Health Minister Izabela Leszczyzna announced specific data pertaining to the impacts of IVF funding, stating that over 23,000 couples have qualified for IVF treatment, and 9,258 women have become pregnant.
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