About Thalassemia

This initiative is to emphasise a shift from treating the disease to preventing the birth of such
children in future.
This can be achieved by education and awareness,screening youngsters of marriageable
age and mass checks for Thalassemia minor among high risk communities who might be
carrier of the gene.
Statistical reports say that every year approximately 1,00,000 children with thalassemia major
are born worldwide of which 10,000 are in India. In certain cases, lifelong treatment is the only
answer which includes blood transfusions every three weeks. The patient must be managed for
complications of iron overload and transfusions like osteoporosis, cardiac dysfunction,
endocrine problems, Hepatitis B and C and HIV infection. The optimal treatment is expensive
and costs around Rs 1,00,000 per annum for a four-year-old child which makes it out of reach
for several patients.
Thalassemia is 99 percent incurable; however, it is 100 percent preventable.In India about
five crore people are carriers of thalassemic gene. If a person with a thalassemia trait marries
another such person, the offspring has a 25 percent chance of developing full blown
thalassemia.
It is thus advised that youngsters should take a simple blood test and ensure that both
the partners are not carrying the Thalassemia trait.