10-year masterplan to control Thalassemia launched

Launching ceremony of Thalassemia Prevention and Control Master Plan on October 15, 2024. (Photo/President's Office)

A ten-year masterplan for Thalessmia prevention and control has been launched on Tuesday night.

The plan was launched by Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef during ceremony held at Crossroads Maldives. The ceremony also saw a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a hospital dedicated to thalassemia children, which will be built in line with President Dr Muizzu’s pledge.

Speaking at the ceremony, Health Minister Abdulla Nazim described the launch of the 10-year masterplan as a success achieved in the efforts to strengthen Maldives’ health system.

The Minister underscored that prevention of disease is based on a multitude of efforts through an integrated system and on this note, said the Thalassemia masterplan is designed to to take into account the entire health system.

As per Minister Nazim, the plan comprises seven strategic goals, including strengthening policies and governance framework, early detection and prevention, provision of quality services, research-based treatment and inception of an integrated data system to oversee the system.

Health Minister Abdulla Nazim speaks at the launching ceremony of Thalassemia Prevention and Control Master Plan on October 15, 2024.

“I note that the current administration has undertaken significant efforts over the past 10 years to improve matters related to Thalassemia such as an uptick in efforts to screen Thalassemia children and raise awareness on the disease among school students,” he added.

Nazim noted that 14 children were spent abroad over the past 10 months for bone marrow transplants while a mobile application for blood donation was introduced to ease the process of seeking for blood for Thalassemia patients.

Other efforts undertaken over the past 10 months include:

Introducing HLA typing test required before bone marrow transplant in the Maldives
Establishment of blood banks in four regions
Screening Thalassemia students that will be sent abroad for bone marrow transplant next year
Completing preparations to commence to ‘prenatal diagnosis’ to identify whether a child is positive to Thalassemia during the pregnancy