Zakat House Allocates USD 162,000 for Life-Saving Bone Marrow Transplants

Maldives Zakat House has allocated USD 162,000 from the Zakat Fund to finance bone marrow transplant procedures for patients battling thalassemia. The funds have been transferred to the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) to facilitate the specialized medical treatments. This financial support is provided under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Ministry of Health on February 21, 2024. While the MoU formalizes the partnership, the Zakat Fund has a decade-long history of supporting these procedures, providing intermittent assistance since 2014. Thalassemia is a hereditary blood disorder prevalent in the Maldives, often requiring patients to undergo lifelong blood transfusions and constant medical supervision. Bone marrow transplantation currently remains the only curative option available. The procedure replaces a patient's defective bone marrow with healthy stem cells from a compatible donor, allowing the body to produce normal red blood cells independently. For many patients, a successful transplant represents a total transformation in quality of life. By eliminating the need for regular transfusions, the procedure prevents severe long-term complications and offers a path toward a healthier, more independent life. However, due to the highly specialized nature of the surgery, the costs are often prohibitively expensive for individual families. Given the relatively high prevalence of thalassemia within the Maldivian population, the government continues to prioritize the strengthening of specialized healthcare services. Strategic funding from the Zakat Fund ensures that financial barriers do not prevent eligible citizens from accessing these life-saving interventions.