OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the policies on Thalassemia prevention in China, also to propose potential improvements by comparing with the policies carried out in other countries.

METHODS: The literatures and policy documents on Thalassemia prevention in China were searched, selected and reviewed for international comparison and suggestions proposing. The search for the literatures, published after 1999, was implemented in PubMed and EMBASE with the keywords: Thalassemia, prevention, and policy. Policies were collected from the official websites of National (Local) Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China and National (Local) Healthcare Security Administration. Then the included materials were reviewed and extracted.

RESULTS: 21 academic publications and 149 policy documents from the high-Thalassemia-incidence provinces were included. The review indicates that China has launched the pilot project for Thalassemia prevention and control in 2012, with the financial support from the central government. This project contributes to the three-level prevention and control system of Thalassemia, including promoting disease education, premarital medical examination as well as treatment and relief services. The continuing declining birth rate of children with Thalassemia since 2015 demonstrates its effective achievements. Europe and the Mediterranean coastal areas (Cyprus, Greece, Italy) have well-established system, containing the national screening program, registration system, and reimbursement mechanisms. In comparison, China currently mainly focusing on pilot areas, and lack provisions to maintain the transfusion accessibility and reimbursement mechanisms to protect the patients from catastrophe payments.

CONCLUSIONS: Thalassemia prevention system has been rapidly improved in China since 2012, but there is still a gap between China and European countries on screening strategy and reimbursement policies. Increasing capital investment to improve reimbursement policies, carrying out the entire population screening strategy and establishing a mechanism to ensure transfusion accessibility should be the next policy focus for China.