The Center for the Study of Bioethics organized in partnership with the Center for Legal Research of the Institute of Social Sciences the debate “Adopting Zoja’s Law”.
The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia recently adopted a law on the prevention and diagnosis of genetic diseases, genetic anomalies and rare diseases, commonly known as “Zoja’s Law”.
Zoja’s Law caused a great deal of attention in the Serbian public. It is named after the girl Zoja, who died from a rare disease (Batten Disease). This law provides the possibility that children from Serbia suffering from genetically caused diseases and anomalies or rare diseases can obtain suitable treatment abroad. If doctors cannot find a proper diagnosis within six months, they are obliged to send samples of tissue and blood to clinics outside Serbia. This is to be funded by the Serbian state.
Zoja’s Law gained unanimous support from the MPs. Zoja’s law is sometimes referred to as to the “Law of victory of life” (“Zoe” means “life”). Still, certain aspects of this law were a matter of controversy. They were debated at this CSB gathering.
People who participated in the meeting had a lead role in the adoption of Zoja`s Law:
Hajrija Mujovic Zornic, PhD, Principal Research Fellow of the Institute of Social Sciences, one of the authors of the law
Bojana Mirosavljevic, mother of Zoja
Professor Dusan Milisavljevic, PhD, MP who proposed Zoja`s Law to Parliament
During the debate, Professor Dusan Milisavljevic and a group of geneticists who had certain reservations about the Law, agreed to meet in order to draft by-laws that could help in overcoming them.
