Expert review calls for national fertility plan to secure and strengthen Australia’s ART & IVF sector for the future
Quick Overview
Australia:
Australia has a once in a generation chance to create a national plan for fertility care, including Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and specifically IVF, according to a new review by the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ).
Australia’s birthrate has dropped by over half in the last 60 years, from a total of 3.5 births per woman in 1960 to 1.63 in 2022. This declining fertility rate is both associated with a decreased overall birth rate and the median age of the mother increasing over the last half-century, from 25.4 in 1971 to 31.9 in 2022.
Dr Petra Wale, PHD
President Fertility SocietyTo provide best practice outcomes and better serve Australians, there is a pressing need to unify the disparate legislative frameworks across Australia.
The review, co-authored by former Health Minister, Professor the Honourable Greg Hunt and embryologist and public health expert, Doctor Rachel Swift, was released today as part of FSANZ 2024, the annual conference of fertility and IVF experts in Perth.
Among the 34 recommendations put forward, the report highlights the need for uniform Laws to be developed and adopted by Australian States, Territories and the Commonwealth into the ART and IVF sectors, as well as the development of an Australian National Fertility Plan.
Professor The Honourable Greg Hunt
This review highlights how governments from across Australia can unite to support individuals and couples going through this process and I urge all respective parties to work together to build this roadmap forward.
In addition, the Review highlights the need for a single National Register and genetic bank for donors and donor-conceived individuals. The Register will provide a centralized system for tracking and accessing critical genetic information, ensuring that medical professionals and individuals are alerted to important hereditary conditions.
With recent reporting around the risks facing state-by-state data being lost or hacked, the need to act swiftly on all of these 34 recommendations is vital.
Dr Petra Wale, PHD
President Fertility SocietyWhile Australia already has one of the world’s safest and most successful IVF sectors, we will continue to advocate for improved access and outcomes.
Dr Rachel Swift
Embryologist and public health expertWe can take action now to ensure the system is well placed to continue to help those who seek support in this journey well into the future and I urge all involved to act on these recommendations.
With the increasing median age for women giving birth and advancements in technologies like genetic carrier screening, the number of children born by ART and IVF over the next decade is expected to exponentially increase.
At present, there are over 40 current different pieces of legislation governing ART and IVF practices across Australia.
FSANZ is calling on the National Council of Health Ministers to agree to implement the roadmap, ensuring consistent legislation across the nation, leading to improved and more equitable outcomes for Australian families.
Dr Petra Wale, PHD
President Fertility SocietyWhile Australia already has one of the world’s safest and most successful IVF sectors, we will continue to advocate for improved access and outcomes.
Media contact
Mathew Langdon – 0400 645 779 – mathew.langdon@londonagency.com.au