A new amendment to the Thalassaemia Control Act aims to strengthen efforts to prevent thalassaemia by introducing mandatory marriage screening for genetic carriers and revising the criteria for appointing the Director General (DG) of the Thalassaemia Centre.

The amendment, submitted to Parliament by Ihavandhoo MP Ahmed Naseer, proposes formalising the DG role as a civil service position, with appointments made by the Civil Service Commission based on the advice of the Health Minister. Candidates must possess a Level 8 or 9 management qualification under the National Qualifications Framework and have at least 10 years’ experience in the health sector. The post would be appointed for a five-year term, with responsibilities set out in law.

A key feature of the amendment is the addition of a clause requiring both parties seeking marriage to submit their thalassaemia test results to the registrar. If both are found to be carriers, the marriage may only proceed after the couple completes a programme mandated by regulations under the law.

The existing Act includes provisions for thalassaemia testing but does not regulate marriage between carriers. The new clause seeks to strengthen preventive strategies and reduce the number of children born with thalassaemia.

The amendment also requires that all regulations and principles stemming from the proposed changes be finalised and published within 30 days of the amendment coming into force.