SEMINAR ON “THALASSEMIA AWARENESS AND PREVENTION”

School of Pathology, TUF in collaboration with Kashif Iqbal Thalassemia Care Centre (KITCC), Punjab Chapter organized a seminar on “Thalassemia Awareness and Prevention” and free Thalassemia Testing Camp in Alam Tower Campus Campus Lahore on February 26, 2019. Mr Asif Hameed Butt and Mrs Asma Asif, Coordinators KITCC were the guest speakers. They delivered comprehensive talks on awareness and prevention of Thalassemia. They told the participants that thalassemia is an inherited condition affecting the blood. It is one of the most common inheritable genetic disorders in Pakistan. Its cause is widely accepted custom of inter-marriages amongst close family relatives and members of the same caste or tribe. Carrier rate of β-thal is 5.6% in Pakistan. Each year 4,000 to 9,000 children born with β-thal major. A Thalassemia major patient requires a blood transfusion every 15 days or after a month approximately, depending upon many factors including the age and general health of the patient. Up to 70% of all blood collection in Pakistan is given to children with Thalassemia. Later, students and faculty members were motivated to submit their blood samples for free thalassemia carrier testing. The participants appreciated the efforts of School of Pathology for organizing this awareness seminar and were hopeful that such activities would help to reduce thalassemia disease burden in Pakistan.

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