159 kids born in Armenia in 2023, this year already 271 children born within scope of state-funded ART program

As of Thursday, August 1, the beneficiaries of the program to use medical care with assisted reproductive technologies in Armenia can also be those forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. Ruzanna Martirosyan, Head of Maternal and Reproductive Healthcare Department of the Department of Mother and Child Health Care of the Ministry of Health, stated this during a press conference Monday on the topic: "The scope of persons entitled to medical care with assisted reproductive technology (ART) is expanding."

"Previously, one of the beneficiary groups was women aged 20-36, with infertility for two years or more. With the new regulation, the scope of beneficiaries is expanded, childless women aged 20-40 who have been diagnosed with infertility for two years or more [also] can become beneficiaries [now in Armenia]. Moreover, in case of becoming a beneficiary at the age of 40, they maintain their beneficiary status until they reach the age of 42.

The next group of beneficiaries were 20- to 36-year-old married couples from border areas with secondary infertility and one child. With the new amendment, the condition of being a resident of the border settlements was removed, and married couples aged 20 to 36, with one child, who have secondary infertility for two years or more, can be beneficiaries now," said Martirosyan.

According to her, in 2022, there were 842 beneficiaries of the ART program in Armenia, but in 2023—5,441 beneficiaries.

"As a result of the scope expansion, we will have more beneficiaries with the new regulation. From January to July of this year, we have more children born—271, than in the whole of 2023, when 159 children were born," she added.

And when asked how people can apply for this program, Ruzanna Martirosyan responded: "They can apply to a medical organization that uses assisted reproductive technology, they submit an application there, if they meet the requirements to be a beneficiary. According to the medical instructions, the amount of further medical care is determined and they receive that medical care."

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