Shafaq News- Erbil

The number of thalassemia patients in the Kurdistan Region has risen to 2,400 after 30 new cases were recorded in 2026, the Kurdish Health Minister Saman Barzanji stated on Thursday, adding that the figure includes 300 displaced people and refugees residing in the Region.

In a statement on World Thalassemia Day, Barzanji said the Kurdistan Regional Government had sent 140 patients abroad for bone marrow transplant procedures at a total cost of 14 billion Iraqi dinars (about $10.7 million).

“Most blood donations collected in hospitals are allocated to cover the needs of thalassemia patients, who require regular blood transfusions,” he explained, addressing shortages of cancer medication.

The minister stressed that the crisis resulted from the lack of a health sector allocation in Iraq’s 2026 federal budget, as well as regional tensions in the Middle East that disrupted trade movement across the Iraq-Iran border and delayed medical shipments. “The shortages affected health centers across Iraq,” he said, expressing optimism that the situation has started to improve after new batches of medicines arrived at medical warehouses, while additional shipments remain en route for delivery. 

On February 4, Barzanji pointed out that cancer rates in the Region have remained relatively stable, with more than 10,000 new cases recorded annually. He added that some advanced diagnostic tests are available free of charge, outlining ongoing efforts to develop an electronic cancer registry to improve data accuracy and patient follow-up.