Woman, 70, gives birth to twins via IVF

A 70-year-old woman has given birth to twins following IVF treatment, three years after her last baby.

Safina Namukwaya became one of the oldest women to give birth on record when she delivered a girl and a boy at a fertility centre in the Ugandan capital, Kampala this week.

The premature babies were placed in an incubator after the birth at 31 weeks, but doctors say they are in a stable condition.

Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Centre described the event as historic and told of “achieving the extraordinary” as it reported that the mother and babies are all well. Ms Namukwaya, who gave birth via caesarean, told local media it was a “miracle”.

Speaking to Uganda’s Daily Monitor newspaper, she said her pregnancy, which comes after she delivered a baby girl in 2020, had been difficult as her partner left her when he found out she was going to have twins.

While women usually go through menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, which causes a drop in fertility, advances in medicine have opened up possibilities for giving birth past this age, namely through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).

European Union supports medical equipment delivery to Moldova

On 20 December 2021, the European Union, together with other partners, handed over to the Republic of Moldova a batch of medical equipment needed by doctors in their daily work.

The country’s medical institutions will receive 50 electric operating tables, 35 operating lights, 50 emergency trolleys and 150 stretchers. The equipment will be distributed to 53 hospitals across Moldova.

The material was purchased with the support of the EU, the USA, Switzerland and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The total value of the donated equipment is US$ 437,321.