World Thalassemia Day: Experts urge pre-marriage blood tests; 10pc of Bangladeshis carriers
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More than 10 per cent of people in the country are carriers of genetic disorders caused by thalassemia or haemoglobin E, health specialists recalled raising awareness on World Thalassemia Day.
The same projection estimates that about nine thousand children are born with thalassemia every year in Bangladesh, and 60,000 to 70,000 patients are living with beta thalassemia or hemoglobin E disease in the country.
Therefore, commoners should go for a blood test before marriage with priority, they underlined.
Speakers on Monday said this at a seminar, citing the projection of the South East Asia Regional Office of the World Health Organization.
They spoke during the observance of World Thalassemia Day on Monday by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
On the occasion of the day, the Department of Hematology and the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology organised separate rallies and seminars at the university. BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr. Md. Sharfuddin Ahmed addressed the events as the chief.
Thalassemia is caused by an inherited mutation in the globin gene of blood hemoglobin. As a result, the haemoglobin level in the blood of thalassemia patients is much lower than normal and the transport of oxygen and nutrients through the blood to the brain is disrupted, they explained.
As a result, body growth is reduced, and deformities in various bone structures may occur. This problem has to be controlled by taking blood repeatedly. In this case, excess iron accumulates in the body, and the performance of various organs, including the liver and heart, may decrease, according to the specialists who spoke at the seminar.
Children are usually affected by thalassemia if both parents are carriers. If it is possible to avoid intermarriage among thalassemia carriers, it may be possible to reduce the number of thalassemia patients, they noted.
Speakers said that awareness should be created among patients, relatives of patients, health care providers at all levels, and the public about thalassemia.
BSMMU also emphasised premarital blood tests to prevent thalassemia, as they could save our future generation from being affected by thalassemia.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor emphasised the screening programme for the diagnosis of thalassemia. Besides, to ensure the latest medical services, he also highlighted the need for such medical services as gene therapy, and stem cell therapy. He further said that care should be taken so that patients do not have to go outside the country for medical services.
Advocate Monzil Morsed, BSMMU Pro VC Prof Dr. Md. Moniruzzaman Khan, Treasurer Prof. Dr. Mohammad Atiqur Rahman, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Prof Dr Masuda Begum, among others, were present at the event.
To bring down the number of thalassemia-affected births to zero in Bangladesh by 2028 through premarital thalassemia screening, to provide all thalassemia patients with affordable treatment, including bone marrow transplantation, and to make available the latest thalassemia treatment facilities, necessary initiatives should be taken at all government and private levels, they added.