The Zakat Fund continues to provide assistance in various ways to people who are financially disadvantaged. Among its key areas of support are education and healthcare. In particular, a significant portion of the fund is allocated each year to healthcare. The fund also provides financial assistance for bone marrow transplants for children with thalassaemia whose families cannot afford the treatment.
According to the latest figures released by the Zakat House, the fund spent approximately USD 175,100 on various forms of assistance during May. Of this, around USD 97,300 was spent on healthcare. In June, the Maldives Zakat House also provided approximately USD 162,100 to support bone marrow transplants for patients with thalassaemia.
Thalassaemia is an inherited blood disorder that requires lifelong blood transfusions and ongoing medical care. There are currently 652 children in the Maldives living with thalassaemia. At present, the only permanent treatment available is a bone marrow transplant.
The procedure involves replacing the patient's defective bone marrow with healthy stem cells from a compatible donor. This enables the body to produce normal red blood cells. When successful, the treatment eliminates the need for regular blood transfusions, improves the patient's quality of life, and protects them from many of the long-term complications associated with the disease.
Although bone marrow transplantation offers a permanent cure, many children are unable to access the treatment for various reasons, including financial hardship. To address this, the Zakat Fund provides financial support for eligible patients. This assistance is currently being provided under an agreement signed in 2024 between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Ministry of Health. However, the Zakat Fund has been providing financial assistance for bone marrow transplants on various occasions since 2014.
Speaking about the programme, Zakat House Director General Sheikh Imthithaau Abbas said that the organisation has allocated approximately USD 648,500 each year for bone marrow transplant treatment. He noted that around USD 162,100 was allocated last month alone to support children with thalassaemia.
"In collaboration with the Maldivian Blood Service, we provide assistance to children shortlisted by the service. Each child is allocated up to approximately USD 64,900. We are working to extend this opportunity to more children and expand the assistance available. This is one of the Zakat Fund's priority initiatives," Abbas said.
Ten children with thalassaemia have completed the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) donor matching process and have been approved to travel abroad for treatment in 2026. Six children will travel in the first group, while arrangements are currently being finalised to send the remaining four children to empanelled hospitals in India under the Aasandha national health insurance scheme.
Since 2024, the Zakat Fund has spent more than USD 1.49 million directly to help eligible children receive bone marrow transplants overseas, enabling them to undergo life-saving treatment and enjoy a better quality of life.
The government has decided to support 10 children each year with bone marrow transplants over the next five years. This means that 50 children will receive treatment during the programme, at a total estimated cost of approximately USD 3.24 million.