Maldives has signed an agreement with Cyprus to collaborate on Thalassemia prevention and control.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two governments was signed during the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organisation (WHO) being held in Geneva.
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim on behalf of the Maldives government while his Cyprus counterpart Michael Damianos represented the Cyprus government.
According to the Ministry of Health, the MoU aims to exchange knowledge and expertise in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Thalassemia while strengthening services provided by the Maldivian Blood Services and the National Blood Bank of Maldives.
The collaboration between the two countries will also include experts from Cyprus to visit Maldives to give recommendations and training along with capacity building, exposure visits and teleconferencing between doctors.
Speaking after signing the MoU, Minister Nazim noted that 18 percent of the Maldivian people receive Thalassemia treatment.
This collaboration, therefore, will offer a great boost to Maldives’ health sector to learn lessons from Cyprus, a country that has been internationally recognised for its thalassemia control programme and receive its technical assistance, he said.
In addition, the agreement aims to enhance cooperation in key areas such as thalassemia prevention and management, blood transfusion services and sharing of clinical and technical experience, Minister Nazim said.
Cyprus has one of the highest carrier rates for thalassemia in the world, with around 15 percent of its population carrying high genetic predisposition to these blood disorders. The Cyprus National Thalassaemia Programme, initiated in 1972, has been instrumental in reducing the burden of thalassemia by focusing on carrier screening, prenatal diagnosis, and genetic counseling.
To enhance the treatment and services available to thalassemia patients remains a significant pledge of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. His Administration over the past year has launched several initiatives to alleviate the prevailing concerns of thalassemia patients and their families.