So much praise about the pro-family budget! It seems that in order to qualify as a “family”, a couple has to bear children by force, immaterial of whether they are married in Church in the first place, or not. So, we have redefined the meaning of a true Christian family and condemned childless couples as if they are living in mortal sin.

But with all due respect and without judging anyone, if they are single parents or cohabiting with a partner, they will benefit from social family benefits if they bear at least one child, no matter what salaries they earn.

Does our government know what depression and expenses childless couples have to endure in order to attempt all medical possibilities to conceive a child in a private clinic or to adopt a child from abroad? Childless couples pay the same taxes as other people, but their sub-fertility conditions cannot be alleviated in our state hospitals.

Our government is very much aware of our exploding aging population. But is the government aware and sensitive about the high rate of infertility in Malta, possibly due to pollution and pesticides?

Several international studies are showing that sperm count has fallen drastically in the past years. Many females also have infertility problems. In addition, certain strenuous work carried out by women in the labour force, is not helping them to conceive and having no justified reason for extra leave or break, they are doomed to work for 40 years straight without interruption.

C. Micallef

Fgura