10m thalassemia patients in BD

Staff Reporter :
Seven percent of the population in Bangladesh about 10 million people are carriers of thalassemia, experts said.

They said that about 7,000 thalassemia affected children are born every year. Experts advised to take this information of World Health Organization seriously. They said people should do blood test before marriage to get rid of thalassemia being corried over to their next generation. One bearer cannot marry another bearer. The government has to take a strong role to make the country free from thalassemia. Besides, the private sector should come forward.

Speakers said these things at a seminar organised by the Department of Haematology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on the occasion of ‘World Thalassemia Day’ at a hotel in the capital on Monday.

BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Sharfuddin Ahmed Chaired over the seminar. Jatiya Party Chairman and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Jatiya Sangsad GM Quader was the chief guest. Professor Salauddin Shah, Chairman of Haematology Department, presented the scientific paper in the seminar.

Engineer MA Wahab, Governor of Rotary District 3281, Prof ABM Yunus of Haematology Department, Professor MA Aziz, Chairman of Haematology Department of Dhaka Medical College Akhil Ranjan Biswas, Associate Professor of Haematology Department of BSMMU Shahzada Salim also spoke in the seminar. The scientific partner for the event was NOVORTIS (Bangladesh) Limited and the media partner was Ekattor.tv. GM Quader said, Thalassemia is a global public health problem. It has become a huge problem in our country too. Thalassemia has recently become widespread in Bangladesh.

He said the government has to solve the real problem related to thalassemia.

BSMMU Vice-Chancellor said, if both spouses are carriers of thalassemia, then the child will also be affected by thalassemia. Therefore, necessary tests and university research programs should be increased to detect the presence of thalassemia before marriage, said the doctors.
Prof Salahuddin Shah said, it was informed in the seminar, according to the projection of the Southeast Asia Regional Office of the World Health Organization, more than 10 per cent of people in Bangladesh are carriers of thalassemia or hemoglobin.

As a result body growth is reduced and deformities in various bone structures may occur.

Children are usually affected by thalassemia if both parents are carriers. If it is possible to avoid intermarriage of thalassemia carriers, it may be possible to reduce the number of thalassemia patients.