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Dubai: The UAE may overturn its ban on terminating foetuses with severe genetic disorders, such as thalassaemia.
Abortion in the UAE is presently strictly prohibited unless it is to save the life of the mother, in accordance with Islamic law. Some schools of thought, however, argue that abortion of a diseased foetus is also allowed as long as it is younger than 120 days.
About one in 12 Emiratis carry the gene for thalassaemia, characterised by the breakdown of oxygen-rich red blood cells, and other haemoglobinopathies.
Dr Ali Shakar, undersecretary at the Ministry of Health, told Gulf News that the ministry was currently working with legal and religious authorities to draft a law allowing therapeutic abortions, as part of the nation's prevention programme of genetic disorders.
"We are studying it from two ways: on the mother or child's health. But the choice to have the abortion will be under the umbrella of religion. Whatever we decide has to be within the religious and social environment," he said.
He said other than thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia, genetic disorders that may be eligible for abortion include Trisomy 21 or Down's Syndrome, caused by triplication of the 21st chromosome.
However, he stressed that they have not decided on what diseases to include or leave out, saying that the study was still at the early stages.
"The rule [will not be] not easy to pass, especially if it is coming out as a law," he added.
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