Thalassemia spread linked to family marriages

PESHAWAR: Frontier Foundation Hematology Services Chairman Sahibzada Muhammad Haleem on Thursday urged the students to help his organisation in raising awareness among the people about thalassemia and other blood-related diseases.

“The students always donate blood for the thalassemia patients but they should also come forward to help us in our campaign for containing the spread of crippling disease,” he told a group of male and female students, who called on him at the Frontier Foundation Hospital.

Sahibzada Haleem said that lack of awareness among the people and interfamily marriages were the main reasons behind the spread of thalassemia and other blood-related diseases.He said that interfamily marriages should be stopped to control the diseases.

Sahibzada Haleem said that couples should undergo medical tests before their marriage to prevent the spread of thalassemia, haemophilia and other blood-related disorders.He feared that thalassemia disease would further spread if the precautionary and preventive steps were not implemented in letter and spirit.

The speaker said that his organisation was holding workshops, walks, seminars and conferences but there was a need to launch specific programme at government and educational institutions level to create awareness regarding blood-related diseases.

He said that genetic diseases like thalassemia, haemophilia and other blood-related disorders were spreading fast owing to a lack of awareness among the people.Sahibzada Haleem said that their organisation was striving hard to control thalassemia through awareness campaigns and provide treatment facilities to patients suffering from the blood disorders.

As part of the “Thalassemia-Free Pakistan Campaign”, the organisation organises awareness events and seminars at educational institutions and various other forums.On this occasion, the Frontier Foundation Administrator Dr Fakhar Zaman briefed students on the free-of-cost medical services offered to children undergoing treatment.

He emphasized that families must conduct a thalassemia test before marriage.Those diagnosed with thalassemia minor should avoid marrying each other, as this was the primary reason for the spread of thalassemia, he explained.Later, the students visited the thalassemia ward, met the young patients, and assured their full support.