Maldives has marked a historic breakthrough in public healthcare with the country’s first successful birth through in vitro fertilisation at the National Fertility Centre established at Dharumavantha Hospital, signalling a major step forward in reproductive health services.
The baby was born on 7 January 2026, corresponding to 18 Rajab 1447, according to a statement issued by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital. Both mother and child are reported to be in good health. The achievement follows the inauguration of the National Fertility Centre on 15 November 2024, a project initiated under a pledge by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to address infertility and reproductive healthcare gaps in the Maldives.
IGMH described the milestone as a turning point for Maldivian families who have long faced financial and emotional strain due to the need to seek IVF treatment overseas. The hospital credited the success to the coordinated efforts of gynecologists, embryologists, anesthesiologists, nurses, and technical staff at the centre, reaffirming its commitment to compassionate, modern fertility care within the country.
Welcoming the news, Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem, Chief Executive Officer of the Malé City Group of Hospitals, which oversees Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Dharumavantha Hospital, said the birth represented relief and renewed hope for couples struggling with infertility. He highlighted that the centre, inaugurated by President Muizzu, delivers IVF services free of charge, significantly easing long-standing burdens on Maldivian families. Haleem stressed that reproductive healthcare must be treated as a basic public service, essential to strengthening families and social resilience.
The government has positioned fertility care as a key pillar of its health policy. Speaking at the opening session of the People’s Majlis for 2025, President Muizzu noted that infertility remained a major health challenge, compounded by the earlier absence of specialised diagnostics and treatment facilities in the Maldives. He said the National Fertility Centre had already provided services to 144 individuals by the end of 2024.
The President also announced the launch of a specialised Endometriosis and Pelvic Clinic at IGMH, with treatments for endometriosis and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome now covered under the national health insurance scheme, . Procedures for Intrauterine Insemination and IVF have been formalised, with financial assistance approved for 105 individuals, 84 of whom have already begun treatment.
To ensure long-term sustainability, the government has established a Fertility Care Fund with an initial allocation of MVR 15 million, reinforcing its commitment to delivering advanced reproductive healthcare locally and reducing dependence on overseas treatment.
