Thalassaemia patients on the rise in Maldives

Male : The Maldivian Blood Service has expressed concern over the rising 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 their treatment is funded by the state, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

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 per cent chance that a couple who are both Thalassaemia carriers will have children that have this rare condition, health authorities said.

Thalassaemia is an inherited blood disorder which may require regular blood transfusion due to abnormal haemoglobin production.