Thalassemia

What is Thalassemia?

Thalassemia is a blood disorder that is among the small children. It is blood disorder that passed down through the families. Thalassemia appears when a new born baby is 4 months old. Thalassemia is named thalassemia because this disease was found on countries near Mediterranean Sea. This blood disorder means that there is lack of Red blood cell and Hemoglobin that is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. This disorder leads that stem cells are not working properly thus lack of red blood cells in the body. Bones in the body fail to develop the blood.

How it’s transferred?

There are two types of Thalassemia, thalassemia minor and major. If both parents are thalassemia minor then there are 25% chances that the baby is going to born with thalassemia major. Thalassemia minor patients have hemoglobin less than 12.0 for example 10.0 or 11.0. Thalassemia major patients have hemoglobin less than 9.0 for example 7.0. In pregnancy in certain conditions after tests if it seems that baby is going to born with thalassemia major then under certain conditions abortion is allowed by the certain treatment centers.

How patients react and what are the symptoms?

Babies and toddlers start turning yellow with heavy fever, they even stop eating. After the tests if it is proved that there is blood disorder than they need new blood transfusions every three months to survive. Because of lack of red blood cells in the body and bones are not able to make blood there are certain problems with liver, heart, and spleen. It may also lead to heart failure. 50% of the kids die between age of 10 and 90% die between the age of 20

Covid and Thalassemia

Due to Covid-19 outbreak, people were donating their plasma to other Covid patients but blood donations is also required for the patients as these kids are in need of blood and due to lockdown situation and Covid fear, people are resisting to distribute the blood. Blood need to be checked for Covid before donation because thalassemia patient already have low immunity system and they can’t handle both diseases together.

Awareness Program

At my internship at Alamgir Welfare Trust, I went to Afzaal Memorial Thalassemia Foundation. There I learned about Thalassemia for the first time. I met parents of the kids and they already lost hope. One of them said “Samajh nhi aata kahan jain”~”I don't to where to go(to seek help).

I interviewed Dr. Usman from Aga Khan University. Dr. Usman treat patients with blood disorder. He informed me that it is much important to create awareness among rural areas more and there should be test compulsory before marriage to fight with this blood disorder but due to illiteracy, it is much more difficult.

There should be proper awareness program on social media and camps in rural areas or any other alternative. There should be awareness or something that government takes initiative to make test compulsory for the marriage.

Video Link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RgnSbYhEabF99xTYkabSDaUcCRofoztG/view?usp=sharing