Minister urges public awareness to prevent thalassaemia

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain on Monday called for greater public awareness of thalassaemia, warning that the inherited blood disorder could pose a serious health risk to future generations.

“Thalassaemia will be a very dangerous disease for the next generation,” he said, stressing the need to educate people about the disease, its risks and ways to prevent it.

The minister made the remarks at a discussion held at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) in Dhaka to mark National Voluntary Blood and Posthumous Eye Donation Day.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Sandhani Central Council and Sandhani National Eye Donation Society.

Sakhawat Husain called for regular seminars and awareness programmes on thalassaemia and its prevention, saying such efforts should continue beyond special occasions. He said he had also tried to raise awareness about the disease during visits to his constituency and urged others to spread the message in their own communities.

The minister also stressed the need to promote voluntary blood donation by addressing misconceptions about its effects on donors’ health.

He urged doctors to use their professional and social interactions to encourage people to donate blood, describing the act as a humanitarian effort that could save lives.

He also called for highlighting the religious significance of blood donation to motivate more people to come forward.

Greater awareness of thalassaemia, he said, could help reduce the disease burden and ensure an adequate supply of blood for patients who need regular transfusions.

Sandhani, a pioneer of the voluntary blood and eye donation movement in Bangladesh, also operates an eye bank.

The organisation encourages people to pledge their eyes for donation after death to help restore sight to others.