Cyprus is held up as an international example in thalassaemia prevention, but the system that earned that reputation is showing signs of strain, according to the head of the Pan-Cyprian Thalassaemia Association. The warning comes as the International Thalassaemia Federation's Global Thalassaemia Review 2025 documents sharp inequalities in prevention and care worldwide, while recognising Cyprus among the countries that have made meaningful progress.
The report paints a starkly uneven global picture. In many countries, thalassaemia remains a life-threatening condition, with patients lacking access to adequate treatment and, in some cases, dying in childhood. Significant gaps in health systems are identified across blood transfusion access, medication availability and the overall organisation of care. The report notes that while the scientific knowledge and experience needed to prevent and manage the disease exists, its application is far from uniform, producing severe inequalities between countries.
A demanding, lifelong condition
Thalassaemia requires lifelong monitoring and treatment. Patients need regular blood transfusions and continuous chelation therapy to remove excess iron, and frequently develop complications affecting multiple organs. Even in countries with more developed care systems, patients' quality of life does not fully match that of the general population, underscoring the complex needs the disease generates.
The report places particular emphasis on the role of organised prevention programmes, which, where systematically implemented, have led to a significant reduction in new cases. Effective management, it notes, goes beyond treatment and requires a holistic approach encompassing psychological support, social care and coordinated multidisciplinary services.
The Cyprus model
Cyprus stands out as a country that has achieved substantial progress, primarily through organised population-wide and prenatal screening programmes that have been applied consistently over time. Developed in a country that previously recorded high rates of thalassaemia, this model has contributed decisively to a major reduction in new cases and is cited in the report as practical evidence that systematic prevention, combined with organised health services, can change the trajectory of the disease at a population level.
Progress and its pressures
"The publication of the Global Thalassaemia Review 2025 is a particularly significant moment for Cyprus," said Miltos Miltiadous, president of the Pan-Cyprian Thalassaemia Association, in remarks to Politis. "It confirms the long-standing progress in prevention, treatment and overall care for people with thalassaemia." That progress, he said, was built through collaboration between the state, health professionals at the Thalassaemia Centres, blood donors, patients and their organised bodies. He thanked the Thalassaemia Centre professionals for what he described as their enormous contribution.
At the same time, Miltiadous was clear that the positive picture "must not lead to complacency," stressing that maintaining and strengthening services requires continuous effort, vigilance and timely intervention wherever weaknesses are identified.
He singled out blood donation as a particular concern, warning that "the system is showing signs of fatigue," with transfusion delays and under-transfusions occurring with increasing frequency, directly affecting patients' health and quality of life. The association has submitted a comprehensive set of proposals to the Health Ministry and the responsible minister, who has accepted almost all of them. Progress on implementation is welcome, Miltiadous said, but "what now matters most is their full and substantive delivery."
On the understaffing of the Limassol Thalassaemia Clinic, he noted that the problem continues to cause pressure and disruption for patients in the district and for the broader system, as doctors are required to travel from other clinics to cover the shortfall. Addressing this is essential to ensuring equitable, quality care, he said, adding that the association "has intervened at every level" and expressing hope the issue "will be resolved promptly."
Miltiadous also highlighted the association's Cancer Detection Protocol, introduced in 2024 alongside the annual iron measurement. Implemented with the involvement of all relevant bodies, the initiative "is already producing notable results," with a significant number of early diagnoses identified and successfully treated.
On the General Healthcare System (GeSY), he noted that securing the inclusion of all necessary services and medications, as well as meaningful social welfare provisions, "requires constant struggle and persistent advocacy" by the association, in coordination with bodies including the Health Insurance Organisation, the State Health Services Organisation, the Ministries of Health and Labour, the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare and the National Thalassaemia Committee.
He closed by expressing particular anticipation for the completion of the new Nicosia Thalassaemia Centre and the relocation of the Paphos Clinic to a new wing, saying both developments "will substantially strengthen service capacity." Cyprus has every reason to be proud of what it has achieved, he said, but "our greatest responsibility is to ensure this progress continues with consistency, seriousness and long-term vision."