Students seeking admission to schools, colleges, and religious seminaries in Punjab will now be required to undergo mandatory testing for thalassemia and other genetic disorders.
The measure is part of the Thalassemia Prevention Act 2025, passed by the Punjab Assembly, which applies to all public and private educational institutions.
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Beta Thalassaemia is the most common genetic disorder in the country, with a gene prevalence rate of approximately 6%. This translates as six out of every 100 Pakistanis carry this mutant gene.
With a population of over 220 million, around 13.2 million people are healthy carriers of the defective beta thalassaemia gene. The cultural tradition of consanguineous marriages in Pakistan has resulted in an increase in the number of thalassaemia-affected children, making it a significant public health problem.
Under the new law, students will be required to submit medical test reports along with their admission forms. The legislation aims to curb the spread of hereditary diseases through early detection and awareness.
The act also ensures strict confidentiality, with penalties for sharing a student’s medical information without authorisation.
