Over 130 apply for state funded IVF, 39 qualify

More than 130 people have applied for government-funded IVF treatment, with 39 applicants qualifying for assistance, the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) said today.

Applications were accepted under the Fertility Care Fund, which opened in late November last year. The application deadline expired on 20 January, with 135 applications received.

Following an assessment process, the 50 applicants with the highest scores were shortlisted for IVF treatment. However, only 39 of those applicants met all eligibility requirements, NSPA said.

NSPA said complaints regarding the provisional list can be submitted through one.gov.mv until 2:00 pm on Monday. The final list of beneficiaries will be published on 1 February.

Applicants selected in the first round have also been asked to submit their treatment plans by 10 February.

Under the programme’s regulations, applicants must have been married for at least three years and have a medically diagnosed cause of infertility. IVF assistance is provided only where specialists have determined IVF to be the most appropriate treatment, after other fertility treatments have failed.

The Fertility Care Fund was also opened to 100 couples in 2024, with the government spending MVR 7.1 million on IVF treatment for 93 couples. Of those, 23 couples successfully conceived, according to NSPA.

In addition to the Fertility Care Fund, Aasandha also provides financial assistance for infertility treatment, meaning two state mechanisms are currently supporting IVF services.

The expansion of IVF services was a pledge under President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s first 100-day programme. IVF treatment is now available at IGMH, where the first IVF birth in the Maldives was delivered earlier this year.