A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Tuesday between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cyprus and the Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF), strengthening their longstanding cooperation with the aim of improving care for people living with thalassaemia and other haemoglobin disorders, as well as promoting the exchange of knowledge and best practices.
According to Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides, the MoU establishes a more stable and structured framework for cooperation, broadens the areas of joint action and provides specific direction for the next steps.
Addressing the signing ceremony, Charalambides said the agreement ‘continues a common path spanning many years’, based on mutual trust and a shared commitment to better care for people with thalassaemia and other haemoglobin disorders.
‘With today’s agreement, we build on what has been achieved so far, broaden the areas in which we can work together and provide more specific direction for our next steps,’ he said.
The Health Minister referred to TIF’s international activities, noting that the Federation is headquartered in Nicosia and is internationally recognised as a representative body for people with thalassaemia and other haemoglobin disorders.
He said that, through its cooperation with the World Health Organization, the European Union and international scientific bodies, TIF has contributed to safeguarding patients’ rights, promoting prevention and research, and efforts to ensure equal access to safe and quality treatments in more than 70 countries.
For Cyprus, Charalambides said, the presence and work of the Federation are of particular importance.
‘Our country has acquired, through a long and demanding process, significant experience in the management of thalassaemia and haemoglobin disorders, with progress in prevention, early diagnosis and comprehensive care being recognised internationally,’ he said.
He stressed that this experience ‘should not remain confined within our borders’, but should be shared, through TIF, with countries where there is a need, taking into account the particular circumstances and needs of each country.
Charalambides also underlined that the quality of care and access to appropriate treatments should not depend on the country in which a person was born or lives.
‘Our aim is for knowledge and scientific progress to have a meaningful impact on the lives of people with thalassaemia: on the quality of care they receive, the choices available to them and their ability to live with dignity,’ he said.
On behalf of the President of the Republic and the Cyprus Government, the Health Minister warmly congratulated TIF’s leadership, management and all its staff for their longstanding contribution and the work they carry out in Cyprus and internationally.
Concluding, he said this was the substantive content of the agreement being signed and the common direction of the efforts of the two sides.