Romania’s Newborn Screening Lags Behind War-Torn Ukraine: Only 3 Diseases Tested vs 21

Romania is testing newborns for only three diseases at birth—phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, and cystic fibrosis—while war-torn Ukraine screens for 21 conditions, according to a News.ro report. Poland tests for 29, Hungary for 27, and Slovakia for 26. A government draft to expand the national screening program to include 19 more metabolic and genetic diseases is stalled, as it requires a full-power executive to be approved. The Health Ministry stated that the project will resume interministerial approval after a new government is sworn in. Once the decision is passed, a methodology and technical norms must be issued by the Health Ministry. The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to expanding neonatal screening in line with the National Committee for Rare Diseases recommendations, pending the necessary legislative and financial framework.

Article and image source: zcj.ro