China is going to make some special improvements in the country’s ‘National Insurance Scheme’ to stop its decreasing birth rate. The only objective under this scheme is that free treatment of infertility will be given among the falling population. So that the expenses incurred in this can be reduced. This special scheme has been implemented by the government because of this. So that the expenses incurred by the family members can be reduced.
China government implements free treatment of infertility
Under this scheme, ‘Assisted Reproductive Technology’ (ART) techniques have been included. It will also include labor analgesia to reduce the pain in child birth. ART process in the treatment of infertility In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
The government there cited China’s declining population as one of the biggest obstacles to national development and insisted that it "reducing the burden of infertility" has already added ovulation-inducing drugs to its coverage to help with this. It is also asking more people to marry and have children.
According to reports, the birth rate in China has been falling for years. Last year the country registered a decline in population for the first time in more than 60 years.
According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country’s population had fallen to 1.411 billion in the year 2022, which is 850,000 less than the previous year. At the same time the birth rate fell to a record low of 6.77 births per 1,000 people. Some 9.56 million babies are expected to be born in 2022, compared with 10.62 million in 2021.
For these reasons women depend more on IVF
According to Chen Wei, a professor at China’s ‘Renmin University’, the increasing number of women in China is happening due to delay in marriage. Women are often not having children in the rush to make money and pursue a career. Options that cover costly procedures like IVF can help ease some of these pressures, Chen said. The average cost associated with IVF is between $4,500 and $5,000 in cities such as Shanghai.
There are 539 ART registered medical institutions and 27 sperm banks in China by June 2021. These facilities facilitate more than one million IVFs every year, according to experts at the country’s National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Policy makers in China are concerned that the spillover effect of economic growth is causing a demographic crisis.
One Child Policy Fail
China had made a rule to remove the fear of overpopulation and reduce poverty. Which was also very famous. "one child" The policy was introduced. But in 2015, it was decided to end it amid concerns of a rapidly growing population and a shrinking workforce. Due to which economic and social stability can be threatened. After improving it, two children were allowed to be born. But later the policy was further loosened to allow up to three. Chinese officials are also moving to remove restrictions on the registration of births of children born to unmarried parents in a country where unmarried mothers still face stigma.
