China's Health Ministry on Tuesday approved 12 medical organizations to launch training centers for assisted reproductive technology (ART) and human sperm banks (HSB).
   
Ten of the organizations are hospitals based in nine provinces and municipalities across China, and the other two are sperm banks based in south China's Guangdong Province and east China's Zhejiang Province.
   
Medical workers in government-approved institutions would have to receive training in these centers before applying to carry out assisted reproduction treatment, a spokesman with the Health Ministry said.
   
The fertility industry was expanding fast in China, he said, and with the establishment of the training bases, the ministry would further regulate the application and development of ART.
   
The ministry issued a regulation last month, banning the trade of human sperm, eggs, zygotes and embryos, and raising standards on license applications to carry out assisted reproduction operations and open sperm banks.
   
Eighty-eight organizations have been authorized to carry out assisted reproduction treatment, and 10 have been approved to establish sperm banks, according to the Ministry.

(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2007)