Minister Khaleel said that the initiative is being resumed with new spirits targeting to decrease the number of children born with thalassemia and needing blood transfusions and chelation therapy by 50 percent in the coming ten years.
A Thalassemia Campaign was launched on Thursday with the aim of raising awareness, testing all Maldivians for the inherited blood disorder and prevention.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the campaign held at the Health Ministry, Minister of Health Dr Abdulla Khaleel said that if successfully executed, the campaign would prove beneficial to the country.
He said that this is the reason why the government is intending to establish a specialized Thalassemia Hospital.
The Thalassemia Prevention Law, enacted in 2012, mandates that all parents bear the responsibility of ensuring their children are tested for being thalassemia carriers before the age of 18. However, this law is not often abided by.
The Minister said that the initiative is being resumed with new spirits targeting to decrease the number of children born with thalassemia and needing blood transfusions and chelation therapy by 50 percent in the coming ten years.
Under this campaign, awareness programmes will be conducted at government offices, companies and private organizations.
The Health Ministry said that similar awareness programmes will be held within the next four months for students in schools in the Greater Male' area.
Arrangements have already been put in place to test students studying in grade 10 to be tested.
"With this initiative, God willing, all Maldivians will undergo thalassemia carrier testing. Considering the prominence of thalassemia in Maldives, 17 percent of the population are born with the blood disorder and require treatment," the Minister said/
"Not everyone tested positive may require blood transfusions. However, statistics show Maldives' population has 17 percent thalassemia positive persons. This is a large number in consideration of our population level. If we are not vigilant, this number will continue to rise," Khaleel cautioned.
The minister further revealed that the first phase of discussions with Nepal and Cyprus have been completed regarding controlling Thalassemia.
He said that there are currently 650 children who require regular blood transfusions, accepting that the country currently faces challenges when providing this service.
At the moment, five patients are receiving bone marrow transplant procedures abroad, with the government covering the costs.
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