There is no question that marriages to close relations has had a bad effect on the health of Saudi Arabians. Among the problems is thalessemia, a blood disorder similar in its effect to sickle-cell anemia. Up until now, the government has played a role in monitoring genetic mis-matches among intended spouses and has strongly urged them to find other partners. Now, according to this story in Khaleej Times, the government is taking firmer action by banning problematic marriages.

The details provided in the story suggest that there will be ‘disparate impact’ on some Saudis as a result of this new regulation. The highest incidents of thalessemia noted are in Shi’a-dominated areas. I suspect that there will be complaints that this regulation is not motivated by public health concerns, but will instead be seen as an effort by ‘Wahhabis’ to reduce the Shi’a population. I’m not sure how it can avoid those complaints except, perhaps, to have some outside organization do the statistical analysis.

No wedding for Saudis having blood diseases
Habib Shaikh

JEDDAH — Couples who are at risk of having unhealthy children may not be able to marry following a recommendation made by the Human Rights Commission (HRC).

According to the HRC, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz approved a recommendation last week requiring mazoons (marriage registrars) not to wed couples at probable risk of producing unhealthy children.

“The King’s approval of HRC’s recommendations stems from the government’s keenness to resolve problems that touch the lives of citizens and residents alike,” said Dr Khaled Al Obeid, HRC member. In 2004, a royal decree was issued directing Saudis to have pre-marital blood tests.

This was an opportunity to quickly and accurately identify carriers of sickle cell anaemia and thalessemia. During the past years, the ministry has tested 488,315 men and women and 5,860 of them were offered medical consultations for remedial treatment for their abnormalities.

During the first year, some 241,825 were tested and the health ministry rejected 9.2 per cent, declaring them incompatible partners. During the subsequent year, 11.6 per cent of the remaining 24,615 cases were rejected on similar grounds.

According to statistics provided by the ministry, 55.7 per cent of those rejected were from the Eastern Province with 18.1 per cent from Jizan, 10.8 per cent from Ahsa and 5.2 per cent from the holy city of Makkah.

The statement showed that throughout the Kingdom, some 20,530 people have inherited anaemia while 15,740 cases have thalessemia inherited from their parents. “When the man and woman are both carriers, every time the woman is pregnant there is a 25 per cent chance the baby will have the disease and a 50 per cent chance the child will be a carrier,” according to one expert in the field. The other HRC recommendation was that the ministries of labour and civil service accommodate blood-disease sufferers who apply for jobs, in the same way kidney patients are treated. It also recommended that people with such diseases should not be stopped from working, as these illnesses are not contagious. In addition, the HRC recommended that the ministries of education, and higher education and the General Organisation for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT) to accommodate sufferers of these diseases.
…