World Thalassemia Day: Prevention strategies to be revamped

KARACHI: World Thalassemia Day should serve as a reminder to revamp our prevention strategies against this genetic disease, said Sindh Minister for Health, Dr Saghir Ahmed, on Friday.

It’s high time that people are made aware of the preventable nature of thalassemia. '

Investment in a prevention programme can eradicate this disease in 25 years, said Dr Tahir Shamsi, a hematologist and transplant physician.

Thalassemia tests should be a mandatory for marriage contracts.

He estimates that the country may have 200,000 thalassemics by the year 2019, with six thousand new cases added annually to the current number of 80,000.

We need a country-wide screening programme.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2011.