Government Introduces Legislation on Assisted Human Reproduction
Including the Creation of a Regulatory Agency
OTTAWA, May 9 /CNW/ - The Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister
of Health, today introduced in the House of Commons an Act
Respecting Assisted Human Reproduction. The comprehensive
legislation will protect the health and safety of Canadians using
assisted human reproduction (AHR) to help them build their
families; will prohibit unacceptable activities such as human
cloning; and, will regulate AHR activities and related research.
The Bill also establishes the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency
of Canada (AHRAC) which will license, monitor and enforce
the AHR Act and regulations.
The proposed AHR Act responds to the report of the House
of Commons Standing Committee on Health which reviewed the
Government of Canada's draft AHR legislation and made a series
of recommendations on December 12, 2001. It also responds to
the needs of the estimated one in eight Canadian couples who
are reported to suffer from infertility.
"This legislation addresses some very complex and important
issues. Canadians have made it clear that they want safe AHR
procedures and the benefit of important medical discoveries,
but not at any cost. This proposed Act clarifies what we, as a
society, find acceptable," said Minister McLellan.
"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to thank
the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health for its part
in consulting with Canadians and for conducting a full review
of the draft legislation."
The proposed Act Respecting Assisted Human Reproduction
would:
-------------------------------------------------------------
- protect Canadians using AHR to help them build a family,
so that their health and safety are not compromised;
- prohibit unacceptable practices;
- regulate AHR activities and related research; and,
- establish the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency
of Canada.
The proposed Bill seeks to safeguard Canadians by:
-------------------------------------------------
- protecting the health, safety and privacy of those who turn
to AHR and that of the children born as a result of AHR;
- ensuring that Canadians considering donating eggs, sperm
or embryos for AHR treatment or research, give fully informed
written consent prior to any procedure; and,
- giving children born through donated reproductive material
access to medical information about the donors.
The identification of a donor would be treated in a similar
fashion to the manner in which provinces deal with adoption,
i.e., the release of donor identification is an option with donor
consent.
The proposed Bill prohibits unacceptable practices such as:
----------------------------------------------------------
- creating a human clone for any purpose (i.e. reproductive
or therapeutic purposes);
- identifying the sex of an embryo created for reproductive
purposes, except for medical reasons such as sex-linked
disorders;
- creating human/non-human combinations for reproductive
purposes;
- paying a woman a financial incentive to be a surrogate
mother (commercial surrogacy);
- paying a donor for their sperm or eggs, or providing goods
or services in exchange; and,
- selling or buying human embryos, or providing goods
or services in exchange.
The proposed legislation authorizes the regulation of AHR
activities and related research including:
-----------------------------------------------------
- the collection, alteration, manipulation or treatment of any
human reproductive material for the purpose of creating
an embryo (e.g. in vitro fertilization);
- the collection of donors' medical information; and,
- the storage, handling and use of reproductive materials
and embryos.
The Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada will:
-----------------------------------------------------
- operate as a separate organizational entity from Health Canada
reporting to the Minister of Health;
- have up to 13 members on a Board of Directors reflecting
a range of backgrounds and disciplines;
- be responsible for licensing, monitoring and enforcement
of the Act and its regulations;
- maintain a donor/offspring registry; and,
- provide reliable information on AHR to Canadians.
Regulations will be developed by Health Canada in consultation
with provincial/territorial governments, and stakeholders including
medical organizations.
Regulated research using embryos has important applications.
It may answer many questions about the causes of infertility.
It may also aid in the development of treatments for conditions
such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer and spinal cord injuries.
The proposed Act puts Canada in line with measures taken in other
major industrialized countries. It is a comprehensive and integrated
approach, drawing on best practices and experiences from countries
around the world.
Backgrounders:
-------------
1- An Overview (33960)
2- Frequently Asked Questions (33970)
3- Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada (33980)
4- Assisted Human Reproduction Procedures Covered by the Proposed Act
(33990)
5- AHR-related Research (34000)
6- A Chronology (34010)
7- The International Scene (34020)
8- Glossary (34030)
Please note:
-----------
A copy of the backgrounders (*)(code 33960#, 33970#, 33980#, 33990#,
34000#, 34010#, 34020#, 34030#) is available from Canada NewsWire's
information-on-demand service. All information is immediately retrievable
to users with a touch-tone phone and fax machine, 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. To retrieve, dial 1-800-238-7718 and follow the instructions.
2002-34
Egalement disponible en français
-30-
For further information: Media Inquiries:
Tara Madigan,
Health Canada,
(613) 946-4250;
Farah Mohamed,
Office of Anne McLellan,
Minister of Health,
(613) 957-1694.
Public Inquiries:
(613) 957-2991.
Health Canada news releases are available on the Internet at
http://media.health-canada.net
Health Canada has 351 releases in this database.
SOURCE: Canada NewsWire
http://www.newswire.ca/releases/May2002/09/c3718.html
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"Murray Charters" <[log in to unmask]>
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