Thanks to In vitro fertilisation (IVF) more than 1,000 babies were born in Bosnia's Serb-dominated region – the Republika Srpska (RS), since 2007.

From 2007 to 2018, the RS Health Ministry approved 4,596 IVF requests, providing around 20 million marks.

Last year, alone, local authorities received 206 IVF requests and approved 179 of them, which amounted to some 445,000 marks. Most requests came from Banja Luka, Trebinje, Bijeljina, Prijedor and Rogatica.

According to the RS Health Insurance Fund, the RS approved a total of 641 IVF requests in 2018, of which 380 first attempt requests, 182 second attempt requests and 73 third attempt requests.

The RS Fund fully finances three IVF procedures for women up to 40 years of age. For women from 41 to 42 year of age, the fund subsidises 50 percent of the costs.

The Fund also refunds 100 percent of the costs for women older than 42, who give birth with the help of IVF.