Bahrain to screen children for hereditary diseases:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Bahrain has launched a national blood-screening programme for hereditary diseases, targeting youngsters aged 15-16. The initiative has been jointly supported by the ministries of health and education and the Bahrain society for hereditary diseases (BSHD). The aim is make youngsters aware of diseases, such as thalassemia, sickle cell and other types of anaemia, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydro-genase deficiency (G6PD) so that they can prepare for the future. Children will be given a card with details of their blood group and information about diseases they carry. Organisers of the programme hope to finish it by the end of June, with up to 120 children screened per day. The BSHD is to finance the programme at a cost of BD20,000 ($53,000).