Couples planning to get married will be required to undergo a screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) disease as part of Turkey’s efforts to tackle the deadly disease, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Thursday.
“We are implementing the program of SMA screening for all couples before marriage and newborns,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters following an SMA Scientific Committee meeting.
“SMA screening is becoming mandatory before marriage,” he said.
“As a result of the screening, couples whose genetic structures carry the risk of giving birth to a baby with SMA can have a child using in vitro fertilization without this risk, if they wish. The cost is covered by our state,” Koca added.
He also noted that SMA is included in genetic screenings for diseases in newborns in order to catch the illness early when treatment is effective.
The minister said the new measure would come into effect by the end of December.
Turkey has been treating SMA Type 1 since 2017, and Type 2 and 3 since 2019, according to Koca.
