World Thalassemia Day 2017

Posted by The Open Page | 8th May 2017


WHAT IS THALASSEMIA
 
Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive blood disorders which gets inherited from parents to the children through genes. It is a blood disorder causes weakening and destruction of the red blood cells, affects the formation of hemoglobin in the body and causes mild or severe anemia. It causes complications like bone deformities, iron overload, cardiovascular illnesses, heart palpitations, enlarged liver, jaundice, enlarged spleen, enlarged bones of cheeks or forehead, delayed puberty and etc.
Around 3.4% of the people are carrier of the thalassemia and around 7000 to 10,000 children are born with thalassemia per year in India. It can be of any type such as alpha thalassemia, beta thalassemia, delta thalassemia and combination of other hemoglobinopathies (hemoglobin C, D, E and S).
It is seen among children of one or two years of life. Mild thalassemia sometimes does not show any symptoms thus can be undiagnosed until blood test (complete blood count, CBC test). It can be treated through the blood transfusion, B group vitamins supplements, iron chelation therapy and blood and bone marrow stem cell transplantation to maintain the normal level of haemoglobin and healthy RBCs.
Since, it is an inheritable disease so cannot be prevented completely however, it can be lessen through the prenatal tests which helps in the early detection and cure before the child birth. It is requested to all the carriers of thalassemia gene to meet a genetic counselor as soon as possible to get proper treatment before being a parent of child or prevent the gene to get inherited to their child.
 
WHY WORLD THALASSEMIA DAY IS CELEBRATED
 
World Thalassemia Day is celebrated all across the world to help people suffering from the thalassemia and its complications in their daily life. Thalassemia is a genetically inheritable blood disorder which can affect people of any age group. It is a disease which having ability to destroy the whole nation and world by affecting a child. Children are the most important asset of the country and world who have capability to lead their nation and world thus it has become the big responsibility of the government of each country to prevent children, country and world from this fatal inheritable disease. Some of the objectives of world thalassemia day are mentioned below:
It is celebrate to increase the awareness about the disease among common public.

  • To develop a most effective prevention measure to have control on the disease.
  • To motivate and encourage the common public especially youths for the blood donation in order to prevent the people suffering from thalassemia.
  • To motivate doctors and other health professionals to take care of the patients especially what they need.
  • To promote the people suffering from it to come to the hospital for the early detection, prevention and cure.
  • To motivate the youths for the pre-marriage test to get diagnosed about this problem and prevent this disease to get inherited among new generations.
  • To make the community, society, nation and world free of thalassemia and other inheritable diseases.
  • To give them (people having thalassemia) equal chance of living like a normal and wellbeing person.
  • To encourage government organizations to develop more heath care facilities in the vulnerable area.
  • To reduce the death rate of people all over the world on international level because of the thalassemia.
  • To increase the number of healthy people without thalassemia or other fatal diseases in the country and world.
     
WORLD THALASSEMIA DAY THEME
 
This special day is celebrated every year using a particular theme to make it very effective and encourage patients for getting appropriate treatment to enhance their quality of life. Some of the year wise themes are listed below:
  • The theme for 2016 was “Access to Safe & Effective Drugs in Thalassaemia”.
  • The theme for 2015 was “Enhancing partnership towards patient-centred health systems: good health adds life to years!”
  • The theme for 2014 was “Economic Recession: Observe – Joint Forces – Safeguard Health”.
  • The theme for 2013 was “The right for quality health care of every patient with Thalassemia: major and beyond”.
  • The theme for 2012 was “Patients Rights Revisited”.
  • The theme for 2011 was “Equal Chance to Life”.
  • The theme for 2010 was “Thalassemia: Knowledge is Strength”.
  • The theme for 2009 was “Together industry. We Care”.
 

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