Shura Council Committee Approves Inclusion of Thalassemia Patients’ Plight in the 2018 Council Report

The committee assigned to prepare the Shura Council report on the conditions of women and children approved on Sunday morning the inclusion of the Ministry of Public Health and Population’s report regarding the situation of thalassemia and hereditary blood disorder patients, and the damages they have suffered due to the current crisis in the country over recent years. This report will be part of the Council’s special report on the role of civil society organizations in human rights and issues related to women and children.
The Ministry of Health’s report highlighted an increase in the mortality rate among children with thalassemia and hereditary blood disorders due to the unavailability of essential blood serums, transfusions, and medications.
The committee resumed its meeting yesterday under the chairmanship of Shura Council member Fatima Mohammed bin Mohammed, with participation from a delegation of the Yemeni Society for Thalassemia and Hereditary Blood Diseases, including the Society’s Follow-up Officer Mr. Saleh Al-Asimi, Resource Development Officer Ms. Rabab Tawfiq, and Executive Secretariat Ms. Maimouna Ahmed.
During the meeting, which reviewed numerous reports, statistics, and data concerning the conditions of women and children submitted by various government bodies and civil society organizations, the Society’s delegation presented the challenges faced by thalassemia patients.
They also highlighted the key obstacles and difficulties encountered by the Society in its work.
The delegation proposed a number of solutions and recommendations aimed at alleviating the burdens and needs of this patient group on the state and society, foremost among them the enactment of a law mandating premarital medical screening.