The Department of Health plans to ban surrogate motherhood and has recently completed a bill governing artificial fertilization and births, Chinese-language media reported yesterday.
The bill is now on its way to the Legislative Yuan for review.
Chen Chao-tzu (陳昭姿), chief pharmacologist and pro-surrogate motherhood activist at the Koo Foundation Sun Yat-sen Cancer Center (和信醫院), slammed the department over the proposed ban, according to the report.
Chen also predicted that it would be difficult for the bill to pass, saying that several dozen legislators have already shown support for surrogate motherhood.
Chen said the ban is unfair to several thousand women in the country who are fertile but unable to bear children because of various health problems.
The bill also imposes age limits on people who can participate in artificial fertilization -- 60 for men and 50 for women.
The age limits are aimed at barring older people from producing test-tube babies, which can result in a variety of health problems in the child including pregnancy toxemia and chromosome abnormalities.
The department also plans to formulate bylaws regulating reimbursements for sperm and ovum donors.
The age limits have drawn criticism.
Li Maosheng (
Setting age limits in the law may deprive them of their right to have children, Li said.
The report also quoted Chang Ming-yang (
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS