Thalassaemia Patients Number in Maldives on the Rise

Maldivian Blood Service has shown concern over the growing number of Thalassaemia patients in the archipelago nation.

The Maldives currently has the highest prevalence of Thalassaemia in the world, according to the Maldivian Thalassaemia Society.

Some 874 people are registered as Thalassaemia patients in the Maldives, and the state funds their treatment, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

‘Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder. The Maldivian Thalassaemia Society reported that the Maldives currently has the highest prevalence of Thalassaemia in the world.’

This year, 13 children were diagnosed with the disorder compared to 11 last year, reports say.

Regulations in the Maldives make it compulsory for couples to do a blood test for Thalassaemia before getting married. Authorities do not forbid marriage between two carriers, but it is discouraged.

There is a 25 percent chance that a couple who are both Thalassaemia carriers will have children that have this rare condition, health authorities said.

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder which may require regular blood transfusion due to abnormal hemoglobin production.

Source: IANS