'Tens of thousands in Iraq suffer'
Iraqi health ministry forms committee to control thalassemia spread
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Ministry of Health announced Wednesday the formation of a high-level committee aimed at controlling the spread of thalassemia. The committee comprises representatives from Sunni, Shiite, and Christian endowments, as well as members from various ministries, media figures, and civil society organizations.
“The ministry has formed a national committee with the aim of preventing and controlling thalassemia and stopping its spread,” said Saif Al-Badr, Ministry spokesperson, in an interview with state-owned Al-Sabah newspaper.
Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that impairs the body’s ability to produce hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Severe cases require frequent blood transfusions. The disorder is inherited when both parents carry the gene, and symptoms include fatigue, pale skin, and organ complications.
Al-Badr explained that the disease often results from “marriages between carriers of the genetic trait or those already affected by the condition, increasing the likelihood of it appearing in children.” He added that patients need “weekly or monthly blood transfusions due to complications, iron accumulation in body tissues, and weakened immunity.”
The newly formed committee has proposed drafting a law to enforce premarital medical screening. Al-Badr stated that the plan includes “establishing advanced laboratories linked to courts to prevent any tampering or falsification of test results.”
Limiting marriages between carriers could help reduce new cases. Al-Badr highlighted that “tens of thousands in Iraq suffer from the disease due to weak prevention measures, avoidance of premarital screening, and unregistered marriages that take years to be officially recorded.”
Many Iraqis opt to marry through religious clerics rather than through official courts. Religious ceremonies are often prioritized, as families consider marriages conducted by clerics to be spiritually valid even if not immediately registered with the state.
The ministry emphasized that while medications and filtered blood transfusions are available, there is a need for further “collaboration with legal and legislative bodies” to enhance awareness and preventive measures against thalassemia.