Thalassaemia Control Bill ratified

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has today ratified the Thalassaemia Control Bill.

The Thalassaemia Control Act has been published in the Government Gazette subsequent to the ratification of the bill.

The Act deals with the control of the rate of increase in Thalassaemia in the Maldives, and treatment for Thalassaemia patients, by the government.

It defines Thalassaemia as an inherited condition caused by faulty synthesis of haemoglobin. A child may suffer from Thalassaemia if haemoglobin in the blood is not enough, or if its arrangement is faulty, resulting in blood not being produced in the body to the desired level.

Some objectives which the Act seeks to achieve include controlling the rate of increase in Thalassaemia, establishing a sustainable treatment system for Thalassaemia patients, and creating public awareness about the condition. A Thalassaemia and Other Haemoglobinopathies Centre is also formed under the Act, to fully attend to the national responsibility to treat Thalassaemia patients.