Stakeholders Should Pay Serious Attention To Control Thalassemia Diseases : ED AMTF

Medical Expert Wednesday on the eve of 'World Thalassemia Day' emphasized the need for Public awareness and urged to all stakeholders to pay serious attention to control increasing number of thalassemia Patients in the country

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2019 ) :Medical Expert Wednesday on the eve of 'World Thalassemia Day' emphasized the need for Public awareness and urged to all stakeholders to pay serious attention to control increasing number of thalassemia Patients in the country.

Talking to ptv news, Executive Director Afzaal Memorial Thalassaemia Foundation (AMTF), Atiq-Ur-Rehman stressed on the need for better management of thalassaemia patients to make them useful citizens of the country.

He said citizens, government , social organizations and civil society should pay a serious attention and arrange seminars in each and every city and towns to make people aware about the disease.

He explained that the person with thalassemia produce lesser amounts of healthy hemoglobin throughout their life, and their bone marrow could even stop producing healthy red blood cells at a certain point in time.

He also advised the people to avoid intra-family marriages to put brakes on growing number of children being affected by the killer thalassaemia disease.

The parents having thalassaemia children had to go through great ordeals, because of the problems arising from transfusion of blood to their off springs, he added.

Thalassemia is inherited, meaning that at least one of your parents must be a carrier of the disease," the expert explained.

It is also good for the health of the donors " he said, adding that the thalassaemia children could be saved through bone-marrow transplantation.

These patients needs regular blood transfusion and iron chelation after consultation with a qualified Hematologist along with regular diagnostic investigations on monthly basis which is unaffordable by the poor families , he said.

Children affected by Thalassemia seldom live beyond 40. Their lives are continuously dependent on blood transfusions and medication.

Permanent cures like stem cell transplants are very expensive and also very risky but this disease is now curable , he said.

In the bid to make the country thalassaemia free, cousin marriages should be avoided and prospective couples should get their blood tested before contracting marriage.

Dr added that patients need regular blood transfusions every three to eight weeks to maintain normal hemoglobin levels.

Due to regular blood transfusions, however, there is a high chance of thalassemics being exposed to blood infections like HIV, hepatitis B and malaria.

There are two types of Thalassemia , minor Thalaseemia does not change into thalassemia major, he said adding, problem arises when two individuals who have thalassemia minor marry.

In this situation there is a 25 percent chance that any pregnancy can result in a child with Thalassemia major, he added.

Expert pointed out that media can help Pakistan reduce the preventable disease by carrier detection and avoiding in-family marriages.