TEHRAN- A new scheme is being devised for giving free genetic test and consultation to families who are in their fertility age and have at least one child with a disability, said the head of State Welfare Organization of Iran. 

The project is designed to stop the repetitive cycle of disability, IRNA quoted Vahid Qobadi-Dana as saying on Monday. 

Qobadi-Dana made the remarks during a meeting between the State Welfare Organization officials and the directors of non-governmental organizations that work for the benefit of people with visual impairment. 

Over the meeting, the directors of NGOs offered that a special working group for people with disabilities will be established in State Welfare Organization. 

The NGOs also asked the Welfare Organizations for new plans, including creating more jobs for people suffering from disability, helping them to manage their daily chores autonomously and expand their presence in society, revising some rules and regulations, paying more attention to the law of hiring at least 3% from persons with disability, making the transportation system more accessible to people with visual impairment and giving their cars special license plates. 

In September, Fatemeh Abbasi, the deputy director for prevention department of Welfare Organization said some 25 to 30 thousand children are being born with congenital disabilities in the country annually.  

In June 2018, Ashraf Samavat, the director of genetics department in the Health Ministry announced that premarital genetic counseling has become obligatory for all couples. 

Genetic counseling is the process through which knowledge about the genetic aspects of illnesses is shared by trained professionals with those who are at an increased risk or either having a heritable disorder or of passing it on to their unborn offspring. A genetic counsellor provides information on the inheritance of illnesses and their recurrence risks, World Health Organization explains.
SJ/MQ/MG