MOVES by the Senate to approve birth through in- vitro fertilization, yesterday got a boost as it passed for a second reading, the Bill for an Act for the regulation of In-Vitro Fertilization, IVF, by establishing IVF authority to make provision in respect of children born of the process.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Barau Jibrin (APC Kano North) was read for the first time on April 12, 2016.
In his lead debate, Senator Jibrin who noted that the Bill sought to regulate IVF procedures and prohibit certain practices in connection with the procedure, said that it would help in the establishment of IVF authority and make provision in relation to children born of the process.
According to him, though IVF is to help a woman become pregnant and it is used to treat many causes of infertility, including advanced maternal age, it has led to a lot of challenges, adding, “If the bill is passed into law, Nigeria will join countries like US, United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya and Australia which already have legislative framework on IVF procedures.
“The principal objective of this bill is to ensure IVF is in our statute law. It is acknowledged that infertility affects a lot of women of child birth age and IVF is only a couple or individual’ chance, hence the need for a legal framework.
“It is imperative to note that many women who require IVF meet doctors who may not be qualified to undertake the procedure and as a result leading to the death of women and children. “The entire legal framework does not provide substantive and procedural essentials for IVF. Most of the Acts on health do not cover IVF.
“This bill will strengthen the practice of doctors in this area as well as likely societal concerns before undergoing the procedure”. Jibrin further stressed that bill when passed and signed, would help to protect the identity, status and health of parents and children born as a result of IVF.
He added that countries that had designed legal framework on human reproductive technologies had had to deal with many controversial issues, which include reproductive liberty, child rights, parental rights, marital relations among others.
According to him, in spite of the absence of laws to protect them, Nigerians faced with reproductive challenges continue to patronise practitioners in this field of medicine.
Some lawmakers, who supported passage of the bill, commended the sponsor, saying it was timely in view of some challenges associated with the practice. According to them, the bill, when passed into law would help provide direction and checkmate practitioners in this area of medicine.
In his remarks, Senate President Bukola Saraki expressed optimism that the bill would protect those who undergo the process, and referred the bill to the Committee on Health to be reported back in four weeks.
Also yesterday, a Bill for an Act to provide for the regulation and supervision of Assisted Reproductive Technology and for matters connected therewith, 2017 (SB. 325) sponsored by Senator Lanre Tejuoso, Ogun Central, scaled second reading