Maldives Blood Services (MBS) has announced that health authorities in the Maldives have officially replaced physical paper documentation with a digital certification system for thalassemia screening results.
The announcement was made yesterday, in which MBS noted that under the initiative, the state has launched the “Thalassemia Carrier Digital Card” to convey screening outcomes directly to individuals. The digital card covers seven distinct genetic traits, verifying whether a tested individual carries any hereditary markers associated with the blood disorder. Authorities are delivering the digital cards directly to recipients via email and WhatsApp messaging.
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The card incorporates dedicated digital codes designed to grant carriers direct access to guidance and clinical information required for family planning. The initiative forms part of a broader government drive to modernise screening infrastructure across the country.
The digitised card builds upon laboratory expansions launched earlier this year. MBS detailed that, under the statutory framework of the Thalassemia Control Act (Act 4/2012), the government established a dedicated DNA testing laboratory within the public health network, commencing operations on 8 February 2026. Operating under the Maldives Tertiary Hospitals Group, MBS delivers advanced diagnostic testing capable of detecting a wide range of haemoglobin mutations locally in accordance with international clinical standards.
In its announcement, MBS confirmed that work continues across public health departments to transition remaining diagnostic, screening, and treatment pathways to integrated digital platforms.
