VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has pledged to broaden the use of pre-implantation genetic testing of embryos for IVF by extending eligibility to 16 additional rare conditions.
The move expands a procedure introduced in 2022 that faced strong opposition from the Catholic Church and anti-abortion activists.
Current regulations permit testing for nine monogenic disorders, including Huntington disease, Tay-Sachs disease, spinal muscular atrophy and Walker-Warburg syndrome.
According to available figures, the procedure has been used sparingly, with only six requests submitted during its first 18 months.
Abela said the newly eligible conditions would include rare diseases that are fatal or cause severe illness or suffering, although he did not specify which disorders would be added.
He noted that prospective parents currently have to travel abroad to undergo such testing for conditions not covered under existing rules.
The planned expansion is intended to provide more options for families at risk of passing on serious genetic disorders and to reduce the need for treatment overseas.
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(ITALPRESS).
