Premarital screening for <i>β</i>-thalassaemia in Southern Iran: options for improving the programme

Abstract

This programme has decreased the birth prevalence of beta-thalassaemia, but has unfortunately not eliminated the disease altogether. The reasons for the birth of new cases, in spite of the screening programmes, are: (i) premarital screening programme started in 1995; therefore, carrier couples who married before this did not receive counselling and gave birth to homozygote beta-thalassaemia children; (ii) unwanted pregnancy among the carrier couples; (iii) the couples knew about their problem, but they married for cultural and religious causes (illegal marriages).