The government is open to allowing doctors to test IVF embryos for more rare genetic diseases if science develops adequate testing for them, according to Health Minister Chris Fearne. So far, the new IVF law lists nine rare genetic diseases that doctors would be allowed to test for if the parents are willing. But the government would also consider testing for other rare diseases that have not been listed yet, Fearne said, adding this possibility was already catered for in the IVF protocol. This, he said, would depend on “how serious the condition is, the likelihood of it being inherited and the testimony of people affected by the condition before deciding whether to approve it for [pre-genetic] testing”. Health Minister Chris Fearne and Opposition spokesperson Stephen Spiteri debate the IVF bill with Mark Laurence Zammit. Video: Karl Andrew Micallef Speaking with PN health spokesperson Stephen Spiteri during a debate organised by Times of Malta, Fearne said that the nine listed conditions cover 95 to 98 per cent of all monogenic diseases in Malta. Monogenic means related to or controlled by a single gene. However, there are other diseases, which occur once every 20 years, for...