In a milestone in the modern medicine march, Bahrain has recorded a global medical achievement that opens the doors of hope for people with sickle cell anemia. It was not just another medical success, but rather a real penetration that reflects the will of a homeland that does not stop at the limits of possible, but rather seeks to make the impossible.
The vision of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for this achievement and his visit to Amjad Al -Mahari, reflects Bahrain’s commitment to developing health care and embrace therapeutic innovations.
Amjad Al -Mahari, the Bahraini young man whose story carried hope for patients with Skiller, has become the first person outside the United States to be successfully underwent genetic modification technology.
This technique, which until recently, was more like a science fiction, enabled doctors to adjust the genes that cause the disease and the cultivation of a new marrow free of genetic mutations. Talking about relieving symptoms or improving the quality of life is no longer only, but patients can now think about radical treatment, which was a distant dream.
This achievement, despite its greatness, raises fundamental questions about the possibility of its generalization and making it available to all in the near future. The cost of treatment reaches 800 thousand Bahraini dinars, for the age group between 12 to 35 years old, is it possible to work to provide these advanced and expensive treatments, Through national initiatives to support Skiller patients? And translating this achievement into a national plan that guarantees treatment to the largest possible number of patients.
The number of people with the disease in Bahrain is estimated at about 7,000 people, which is a high percentage compared to the number of the population, which makes the Skiller a major health and social challenge, which is met by the tremendous medical efforts made by the state, and the disease still strongly affects the lives of the injured and their families.
Today, after this success, we must ask ourselves: How can we make Bahrain a regional center for the treatment of sclerosis with genetic modification techniques? How can we turn this achievement into a first step towards eliminating the disease permanently?
What has been achieved is not just a medical achievement, but rather is evidence that Bahrain is able to be at the forefront of countries that provide real solutions to chronic diseases.
