PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar have urged masses to get their tests done for thalassaemia before marriage so that new generation will not suffer from the incurable disease.

The seminar on ‘awareness of thalassaemia and role of media’ was arranged by Badbaan Organisation, a civil society organisation, in collaboration with the Peshawar Press Club and Khyber Union of Journalists on Thursday.

Provincial minister for health Shahram Tarakai was the chief guest on the occasion, who urged the media to create awareness of thalassaemia, which was an incurable disease affecting a large number of people. Journalists Saiful Islam and Shahabuddin also shared their views.

Mr Tarakai said that thalassaemia was a genetic disease and caused mostly through inter-family marriages. He said that if both man and woman had minor thalassaemia, it converted into major thalassaemia, which then transferred to their children.

He said that work was in progress on legislation to make thalassaemia screening test must before marriage, but for complete eradication of the fatal disease it was necessary that masses should take interest to follow medical principles by removing the cultural barriers in this regard.

The minister said that thalassaemia was an inherited blood disorder caused by weakening and destruction of the red blood cells. Referring to different researches, he said that up to 70 per cent of all blood collected in Pakistan was given to children ill with thalassaemia.

He said that the symptoms of thalassaemia major included paleness, headache, shortness of breath, fatigue, jaundice and spleen enlargement.

About reforms in the health department, Mr Tarakai said that strength of medial officers in the province had been increased from 3,500 to 6,156 during the last four years. He said that the PTI-led government wanted to spend more on human development.

Khurram Iqbal stressed the need for creation of awareness of the fatal disease in the society. He said that pre-marriage tests were extremely necessary and it was duty of the couples to get their tests done in their own interest.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2017