Dr Petra Wale, President of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) has announced a major initiative to commission a comprehensive review of governance and standards within the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and IVF sector across Australia and New Zealand. This review will culminate in the development of a detailed 10-year roadmap aimed at establishing uniform national legislation for ART and IVF providers in Australia, while continuing to align with New Zealand’s principles of the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2004.
The review and strategic plan are focused on enhancing accessibility to safe and effective fertility treatments for families across Australia and New Zealand. While these nations already boast one of the world’s safest and most successful IVF sectors, factors such as the increasing median age for women giving birth and advancements in technologies like genetic carrier screening through the Australian publicly funded Mackenzie’s Mission program are expected to significantly increase the number of children born by ART and IVF over the next decade.
