09 May 2004	Sunday	18 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, May 8: Pathologists and paediatricians have sought legal provision for pre-marital diagnostic test for thalassaemia besides ante-natal tests for pregnant women with family history of the disease.

They were addressing at an awareness programme, which was held to mark the International Thalassaemia Day under the aegis of Fatimid Foundation here on Saturday. Prof Zeenat Issani from National Institute of Child Health, Prof Mohammad Khurshid from Aga Khan University, Surgeon Commodore (Brig) Suhaib Ahmed from PNS-Shifa, Sindh WHO Coordinator Dr G.N. Kazi and Chairman Fatimid Foundation Lt Gen (Retd) Moinuddin Haider spoke on the occasion.

The speakers underscored urgent measures for prevention of the very blood disease with high rate of mortality rate in the country.

In the backdrop of the fact that the disease is preventable with no provision for cure for Thalassaemia Major, they stressed the need for maximum public awareness about the disease coupled with legal provision to contain prevalence of the ailment.

Lt Gen (Retd) Moinuddin Haider urged the parliamentarians to divert their attention towards actual problems of the masses and contribute in making public life sound and strong through measures which could guarantee health for all.

Referring to the measures adopted by the Fatimid Foundation to provide required support to beta-thalassemic in the country, he mentioned that annual budget of the foundation was around Rs100 million and 75 per cent of this was generated through the support of local philanthropists.

Prof Zeenat Issani discussed the complications of the disease due to iron over-load among the local patients suffering from Thalassemic Major due to chronic blood transfusion.

She said that patients with beta-thalassaemia, dependent on blood transfusion, require regular iron chelation to prevent potentially fatal iron-related complications.

With regard to complications among the patients, she mentioned that most of the kids died because of heart failure or heart enlargement as iron overload particularly involved myo- cardium.

Dr Suhaib Ahmed suggested need for across the board screening of people with family history of the disease.

He also suggested establishment of a fund to provide free facility for antenatal diagnosis, which was non-affordable for many of the locals.

Discussing difficulties in management of thalassaemia, Prof Khurshid mentioned that the disease was preventive and quite therapeutic, but, it had no curative treatment.-APP