Medical experts stress on pre-marital thalassemia diagnostic tests

Medical experts said that about 5000 children are diagnosed with beta-thalassemia major every year in Pakistan and despite the existence of the law, pre-marital thalassemia diagnostic tests are ignored.

If two minor thalassemia people get married, there is a 25% chance that their child will be affected by beta thalassemia major. These views were expressed by medical experts during an awareness session on thalassemia organized by Muhammadi Blood Bank and Thalassemia Centre.

On this occasion, Muhammadi Welfare Foundation Project Coordinator Samar Fatima and Medical Officer Dr. Kanza Paiwar also gave a presentation to the students and teachers of Arena Multimedia.

The aim was to inform the participants that blood group before marriage, blood screening and other necessary diagnostic tests including thalassemia, so that they can protect the future generation from various diseases.

In this regard, project coordinator Samar Fatima and medical officer Dr. Kanza Paiwar said that citizens should undergo three diagnostic tests before marriage, including blood group test, HB electrophoresis, hepatitis B and C virus test, including HIV/AIDS.

The health experts said diagnostic tests and premarital blood group testing help avoid future medical emergencies. Many people do not even know their blood group, often during pregnancy when a pregnant woman needs blood, her husband does not know his wife’s blood group, which results in difficult blood management especially for those women whose blood group is rare and her condition gets worse.

Infectious diseases can be transmitted from an infected person to her partner through sexual contact, while during pregnancy and breastfeeding, infectious diseases can be transmitted from an infected woman to her newborn child.

Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that affects the production of a protein called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is essential for transporting oxygen in the body. There are two types of thalassemia, which are alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia, while there are three types of beta thalassemia, including beta thalassemia minor, and beta-thalassemia. Thalassemia major and beta thalassemia intermedia are included.

The health experts said they have set targets to prevent the spread of beta thalassemia, while there is a possibility of 50% carrier and 25% normal. Hb-electrophoresis should be done for early diagnosis of beta thalassemia minor, the frequency of beta thalassemia is between 5 to 7% which in our country is about

There are 10 million carriers in the country. A thalassemia carrier is someone who carries at least 1 defective gene that causes thalassemia, but does not have thalassemia themselves. About 5,000 children are diagnosed with beta-thalassemia major each year.

There is a law to conduct a diagnostic test for thalassemia before marriage but this has been ignored. A large number of people in the society do not get tested for HIV/AIDS or hepatitis because it gives an impression to others that the witness is infected.

The disease is transmitted from person to person only through sexual contact, but in fact, most such diseases are reported from dental treatment, while such diseases are from surgery, use of personal items, past blood transfusions and needle or sharp objects. The treatment is expensive and long-term. Donating blood promotes heart and liver health, weight loss, increases sperm production and reduces the risk of cancer.

Medical experts further said that access to preventive measures against this disease is easier under the Thalassemia Prevention and Control Program.

Mohammadi Welfare Foundation also provided the facility of free Hb electrophoresis to the students and teachers of Arena Multimedia IIC.