ISLAMABAD, May 9: More than ten million people are living with thalassaemia across the country, says a report. Thalassaemia is a genetic defect in which patients lose the ability to form haemoglobin, as a result the process of formation of new and healthy blood stops. Annually, about 5,000 children are born with this disease and only 25 per cent of them get registered with hospitals and die before reaching adulthood.

Lack of awareness, cousin marriages and poverty are the main reasons for the disease. As a result, the report said, 80 per cent of the thalassaemia affected people belong to the lower strata of society.

A newborn baby gets 25 per cent chances of thalassaemia if the disease affects one parent, but if both parents are affected then the baby gets 50 per cent chances of the disease.

Doctors and specialists stressed on the need of blood tests before getting married so that chances of birth of an infected baby could be minimised.

Government’s lack of interest and dearth of resources is creating problems for the patients and their families. There is a dire need of volunteers to come forward and donate blood for the poor patients who have to transfuse blood after every three to four weeks.

In Islamabad, only the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has a department that has treated over 400 patients and provided 600 blood units to the patients this year.

—PPI