OoWomaniya.com brings “Expert Speaks “ where on this day we send out an appeal to all young females and their partners to go for Thalassemia screening and bring about awareness among citizens.

Statistics say that in the state of Gujarat itself there are 10,000 Thalassemia major children, every year 1000 Thalassemia major children are added to this number and every 1 out of 135 children born are Thalassemia major. Such children need regular blood transfusion and may have compromised quality of life.

The statistics make us realize the serious gravity of this clinical condition but let’s understand more on the Thalassemia and how we as responsible citizens and women can play a role in dealing with it.

Dr. Darshna Thakker, Gynecologist & Obstetrician explains , “Thalassemia is an inherited (i.e., passed from parents to children through genes) blood disorder caused when the body doesn’t make enough of a protein called hemoglobin, an important part of red blood cells. When there isn’t enough hemoglobin, the body’s red blood cells don’t function properly and they last for shorter period of time, so there are fewer healthy red blood cells traveling in the bloodstream. “

Dr. Darshna adds, people with Thalassemia may have mild or severe Anaemia. Red blood cells carry oxygen to all the cells of the body. Oxygen is a sort of food that cells use to function. When there are not enough healthy red blood cells, there is also not enough oxygen delivered to all the other cells of the body, which may cause a person to feel tired, weak or short of breath. This is a condition called Anaemia.

On the Thalassemic status of an individual, Dr. Darshna clarifies, “Remember, a thalassemia minor individual a carrier state and NOT a disease. They can have normal life as others…….whereas thalassemia major’s life is truly difficult, more so for a girl child due to more natural blood loss owing to menstruation.

Normal person getting married to normal/thalassemia minor individual is just right……no risk of having thalassemia major child.

Thalassemia Major individual getting married to normal/ thalassemia minor increases chance of having thalassemic child.”

Dr. Darshna as a Gynecologist and Health Expert sends out an appeal to everyone “Each individual before getting married MUST check their Thalassemia status. Simply being aware and matching the test instead of kundali can surely prevent new addition to thalassemic child into their life and the major numbers in the society.”

Many NGOs like Valsad Blood Bank, Red Cross Society, Rotary Club are active to combat this preventable tragedy of Thalassemia Major child’s birth. In last one year, Red Cross Society at Ahmedabad carried out a massive Thalassemia screening campaign at Government hospitals and Urban centers and after screening around 1.5 lac pregnant women they were successful in preventing births of 93 Thalassemia Major children. They even screened 12 lac young female and male students from 11 Universities for their Thalassemic status.

OoWomaniya says, Kudos to them! Several such initiatives and one day we may become successful in pulling out Thalassemia from our society.

Let’s all be aware, making other people aware to make Thalassemia major free world! Yes, we can!