Welsh survivors of the thalidomide scandal which saw people born with serious birth defects will receive lifelong financial support, the Welsh Government has said. Thalidomide was commonly used to treat morning sickness from 1958 to 1961. It was withdrawn in December 1961 when it was found to have caused serious birth defects in babies born to women who took the drug during pregnancy.
Thousands of babies in the UK, including Wales, were born with limb deformities after mothers took the drug during pregnancy. While there are hundreds of known survivors of the scandal in the UK there are around 30 in Wales, with many of them now aged 60 years or older.
It has now been announced that people living with the impacts of the drug will get lifelong financial support. There had been concerns as the current ten-year agreement for the Thalidomide Trust Health Grant comes to an end in March 2023.
