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Friday March 29, 2024

‘Sindh can be made thalassemia free in a matter of years’

KarachiBy screening every male under the age of 50 for thalassemia minor and mentioning it on their Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC), entire Sindh province can be made thalassemia-free within a couple of years.“Every year, at least Rs10 billion is spent to keep around 100,000 thalassemia patients alive

By our correspondents
May 03, 2015
Karachi
By screening every male under the age of 50 for thalassemia minor and mentioning it on their Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC), entire Sindh province can be made thalassemia-free within a couple of years.
“Every year, at least Rs10 billion is spent to keep around 100,000 thalassemia patients alive by providing medicines, blood transfusion and other medical interventions but if the same amount is spent by the government on prevention of thalassemia, the genetic blood disorder can be completely wiped out in 2 years from Sindh province”.
This was stated by renowned hematologist and Secretary of the Omair-Sana Foundation (OSF) Dr Saqib Ansari while addressing a press conference on the launch of 15-days awareness campaign against thalassemia from May 1 to May 15.
He said due to government`s apathy to curb thalassemia, philanthropists, NGOs and parents of the thalassemia patients are spending millions of rupees annually on the treatment, He added, “But due to lack of preventive measures, number of Thalassemia patients are multiplying each passing year in Pakistan. On the other hand, countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates have successfully eliminated the genetic disease by adopting preventive measures,” Dr Ansari added.
Dr Saqib Ansari maintained OSF would conduct awareness campaign to mark World Thalassemia Day on May 8, 2015. “On May 5, we would hold an awareness seminar at KPC to inform media personnel about potential preventive measures against thalassemia. On May 8, a walk would be held at Hamdard University in the morning, while oil lamps would be lit at KPC in the evening.”
He announced that a scientific seminar would be held in Karachi on May 13 in which blood experts from entire Pakistan and people associated with thalassemia management and prevention would be addressing people to present guidelines for the treatment and prevention of the disease.
Dr Ansari informed that in addition to activities, people from different walks of life including President of Pakistan, Prime Minister, Parliamentarians, Federal Health Minister, Senators, columnists, senior journalists would be sent letters as part of an awareness campaign on thalassemia in the country.
He maintained OSF does not get any funds from the health department but at the very same time some organisations have reportedly acquired Rs. 20 million funds for prevention of thalassemia .
“One of our researchers has invented a method of screening for thalassemia, which is 99 percent accurate and it is as cheap as Rs20. His research has been published in European Journal of Hematology, which is a very renowned publication on blood disorders,” he added.
On the occasion, Dr Zeeshan Ansari, the research analyst said OSF is actively working on prevention of the disease and it is also conducting CVS test on affordable rates as compared to some hospitals in the city.