Page 20 - ASPIRE AUGUST 2022 Vol 7 Issue 3

TAIWAN
13.5 per cent reduction
in IVF cycles likely due
to pandemic impacts
By Dr Ming-Jer Chen Country Representative
Taiwan has been deeply affected by the COVID-19 Omicron variant strike since April.
At the start of April, the daily domestic infection rate was around 100 with the total death toll from the pandemic exceeding 853. The daily infection number increased exponentially and peaked at 95,000 on May 27.
Up to 14 July 4.2 million, or 18 per cent of the population, had been infected and the death toll reached 7,917, representing 344 fatalities per million of the population.
Meanwhile, the 2020 Taiwan national ART report showed a reduction in the total cycle numbers from 44,256 in 2019 down to 38,289. This 13.5 per cent decrease probably can be explained by pandemic effects.
The total number of fresh cycles in 2020 was 21,837. Total pregnancy rate was 39.1 per cent and live birth
Mitochondria are the batteries of cells in the
body creating energy, but when there are genetic defects, or damage occurs, serious conditions may be transmitted to offspring
Ming-Jer Chen
rate 27.8 per cent. In patients under 35 years of aged, the rates were 50.2 per cent and 41.4 per cent respectively.
The total frozen cycle number was 16,452. Total pregnancy rate and live birth rates were 50.1 per cent and 37. 7 per cent respectively. They rose to 60.1 per cent and 49.6per cent in patients aged under 35.
The multiple pregnancy rate remained at 23.8 per cent. Single embryo transfer rates have increased only since the ART subsidy was endowed in July 2021. Improvements in singleton birth rates are expected to become evident after 2022 report.
The Taiwanese Society for Reproductive Medicine held a regional meeting in Taichung on 6 June 6. The meeting addressed some controversies in ART and Jacques Cohen spoked about the current status of mitochondrial replacement for patients with repeated IVF failure and at risk of transmitting mitochondrial disease.
On 12 June 12, a joint meeting was held with the Taiwan Maternal Fetal Medicine Society addressing theme of safe pregnancy and childbirth.
Professor Sunny Sun from NCKU Tainan presented the award-winning intelligent computing noble embryo system for LB prediction under the topic of next generation pre-natal medicine.
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