As a Member of Parliament, I believe that the true value of politics lies in the real changes we bring to people's lives. Malta's journey with in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a powerful example of how responsible, compassionate policy can transform hope into reality. By pushing for determined reforms, investing public resources, and openly facing ethical challenges, this government has helped hundreds of couples achieve their dream of parenthood. In this opinion piece, I want to share my perspective on how these choices have reshaped our society and why it is essential that we continue to place compassion, dignity, and scientific progress at the heart of our national agenda.

Malta's journey in assisted reproduction has never been easy. In Parliament, debates about the ethical aspects of IVF were often difficult, and it did not always speak with a single, unified voice on reforms aimed at widening these opportunities. Different views were expressed on who should be given the chance to become a parent and how far the State should go in supporting them. At times, these debates faced strong political resistance, and few realised that the democratic fabric of our society is strengthened when difficult moral questions are debated openly. Ultimately, however, governments are elected to bring about reforms, and history judges how these reforms affect people's lives. Yet this debate now forms part of Malta's political history, as do the decisions that followed - legislative changes that removed barriers allowing couples to become a family.

This government chose to widen access for couples facing fertility challenges, backed that choice with legislative reform and public investment, and continued to expand opportunities over the years. These decisions are clear in the figures that follow. Since 2013, 4,757 prospective parents have benefited from IVF services. At the same time, public investment increased dramatically from €75,000 in 2013, to €500,000 in 2014 and €1.6 million by 2018. In 2025, more than €5.38 million was allocated following additional funding during the year, while €6.7 million has been allocated for 2026. As a result of this massive investment, the Take-Home Baby Rate increased from 18% in 2013 to 45.01% in 2025 - an increase of 27.01 percentage points.

The 2018 reform of gamete donation illustrates this particularly well. Since then, 88 babies were born through donated gametes, including 44 children born to same-sex female couples. These forty-four children show the human impact of a policy decision designed to widen access and remove barriers. Investment was not limited to the procedures themselves. In 2022, IVF medicines were provided free of charge to prospective parents undergoing procedures at the Mater Dei ART Clinic. From 2023, this was extended to medically assisted reproduction procedures carried out in licensed and registered Maltese clinics. Since the measure was introduced, 2,322 prospective parents have benefited from free IVF medicines, and the State has invested more than €4.6 million.

By ensuring that the cost of medicines does not become another obstacle between prospective parents and their dream of having a child, this Government has shown what it means to put people first. In my view, this is the kind of leadership Malta needs to keep building a fairer, more compassionate society.

The number of children born through IVF tells the same story. There were 25 births in 2013. By 2023, the figure stood at 103, rising to 161 in 2024. In 2025 alone, 181 babies were born. Since 2013, 998 babies have been born following IVF procedures. With another 111 babies expected from ongoing pregnancies, the total number of children born or expected through these procedures stands at 1,109.

I see the figure of 1,109 is not just a statistic - it represents children who might never have been born if we had not chosen, at firsthand, to make bold decisions in favour of public reforms, where public investment and open debate have turned hope into reality for hundreds of Maltese families.

Supporting families goes beyond words; it is about making bold choices, removing barriers, and ensuring that the cost of treatment is not an obstacle to parenthood. Our experience with IVF proves that compassionate public policy can coexist with careful ethical reflection, and that progress and values need not be seen as at odds. As policymakers, our duty is to put people first and to keep building a fairer, more inclusive society - one where hope is met not with obstacles, but with opportunity.

The next phase of Malta's assisted reproduction policy goes beyond widening access. It also seeks to reduce the burden of serious inherited diseases through advances in reproductive genetics. The Government recently introduced a reform on Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic Diseases (PGT-M). PGT-M allows embryos created through IVF to be tested for certain serious inherited genetic conditions before implantation. This offers prospective parents carrying particular genetic disorders the possibility of reducing the risk of passing these conditions to their children.

Over the past months, I closely followed Malta's reform on PGT-M testing, and for this purpose I asked a number of Parliamentary Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister, Dr Ian Borg. In response, Dr Borg revealed that since the reform was introduced, three applications have been submitted, one has been approved, and one child has already been born following IVF treatment involving PGT-M.

As we continue to debate and refine our national policies, my commitment remains clear: to put people first, to listen to the lived experiences of Maltese families, and to ensure that hope is met with opportunity. This is what responsible leadership looks like, and it is the kind of politics Malta deserves.