Hong Kong
CNN
—
China plans to provide citizens with free fertility treatment under its national health insurance system to reverse its plummeting birth rate.
National Health Security Administration Said On Friday, it expands its coverage to help cover the costs of families trying to conceive.
said The new coverage includes assisted reproductive technology (ART) technology and birth pain relief to ease pain during childbirth. The most commonly performed ART procedure is in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The government has described China’s declining population as one of the biggest obstacles to national development, stressing that it has already added fertility drugs to its coverage to “reduce the burden of infertility.” bottom.
The expanded coverage is part of a broader attempt by Chinese authorities to persuade more people to marry and have more children.
The country’s birth rate has been declining for years, and last year the country recorded its first population decline in more than 60 years.
According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China’s population will drop to 1.411 billion in 2022, down 850,000 from the previous year.
At the same time, the fertility rate has fallen to a record low of 6.77 births per 1,000 people. About 9.56 million babies will be born in 2022 compared to her 10.62 million in 2021.
According to Chen Wei, a professor at Renmin University of China, more women are delaying marriage or choosing not to have children, often citing financial constraints or the need to prioritize their careers. Options that cover costly procedures such as IVF could help alleviate some of these pressures, Chen said.average Related expenses IVF costs between $4,500 and $5,000 in cities such as Shanghai.
As of June 2021, China has 539 ART-approved medical institutions and 27 sperm banks, which facilitate more than one million IVF cycles each year, according to the country’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinical Research Center. expert said.
Policy makers are increasingly concerned about the impact of China’s growing demographic crisis on economic growth.
Decades ago, China introduced its highly controversial “one-child” policy in an attempt to address overpopulation concerns and alleviate poverty, but a rapidly aging population and shrinking labor force have led to economic downturns. and decided to abolish it in 2015 amid concerns that it could threaten social stability.
Initially, the couple was up to two childrenbut later more Relax the policy to allow up to 3.
Chinese authorities are also moving to lift restrictions on birth registration for children born to unmarried parents in a country where unmarried mothers still face stigma.
In February, the health commission in Sichuan province, with a population of more than 83 million, announced it would allow single parents to register the birth of their children. These benefits included maternity insurance, which covered antenatal health care, maternity-related medical expenses, and paid maternity leave.
