The Chinese government has pledged to improve pre- and post-natal services to encourage more people to have children and reiterated its intent to “discourage” abortions as it seeks to turn around a declining birth rate.
The measures announced by the country’s national health commission include a pledge to make fertility treatments more accessible. For several years authorities have flagged expanding IVF access to single women but it remains available only to married couples. A court challenge by a woman was recently struck down.
The commission said it would guide local governments and health institutions to make the changes, including the provision of “targeted services to the masses through health education, psychological counselling, traditional Chinese medicine services, drug treatment, surgical treatment, assisted reproductive technology and other means to improve the level of infertility prevention and treatment”.
Reproductive health education campaigns would also be carried out to enhance public awareness while “preventing unintended pregnancy and reducing abortions that are not medically necessary”.