The programme will also offer pregnant women information about inherited blood disorders. Instances of sickle cell anaemia have risen by 60 per cent in the last 10 years and it affects one in 2,400 births each year.
Programme implementation manager Dr Sandra Anglin said death rates and complications in newborn babies were dramatically reduced by early detection.
She said studies had shown targeted screening programmes had not offered screenings to 20 per cent of those in ethnic groups at highest risk and were not cost effective.
Newborn screening, which started in September 2003 as part of existing routine blood tests, will be complete by March 2005.
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