Call for raising awareness to avoid cousin marriages to prevent Thalassaemia
Punjab Caretaker Minister for Health Dr Jamal Nasir on Monday said free-of-cost screening and tests for thalassemia children would start in Rawalpindi hospitals from next week.
Dr Jamal Nasir said this while speaking as a special guest at a function organized by the Thalassemia Welfare Society in connection with the“World Thalassemia Day”. The caretakerhealth minister further said that the day is celebrated on May 8, to raise awareness about thalassemia worldwide.
Dr Jamal Nasir said besides providing free-of-cost diagnosis facilities, vaccination and treatment would also be ensured. The health minister said the purpose for organizing the event was to share the happiness of the people affected by thalassemia and their families and to pay tribute to their courage.
“Thalassemia is a fatal and a genetic disease and the patient not only himself but his family members also pass through painful phases during this disease.” Moreover, Health expert on ‘World thalassaemia’ day stressed the need for undertaking awareness campaigns to reduce the incidence of this genetic blood disorder and called for avoiding cousin marriages as these were a major cause of thalassaemia disease spread in the country. Talking to the PTV news channel, An expert on Thalassaemia Dr Prof Hassan Abbas Zaheer explained that it is necessary for families with a history of thalassaemia to screen their children before marriage to help control the spread of the disease in Pakistan, where at present the annual 5000 infants born with this disease.
