KARACHI: A day-long international symposium organised by the Paediatric Nephrology Department of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) has highlighted the medical risks and issues arising from genetic disorders caused by inter-family marriages.

The symposium was attended by several renowned national and international medical experts, who discussed the high incidence of consanguineous (cousin) marriages globally, noting that Pakistan, unfortunately, falls into the category where the problem is widespread.

It was stated that 60 per cent of all marriages in the country result in a compromised gene pool, leaving little room for effective treatment.

While discussing the issue, experts from various fields of medical science pointed out that thalassaemia is a prominent example, where affected children require regular monthly blood transfusions for survival.

Similarly, kidney diseases are also prevalent in the region, particularly among children, owing to underlying genetic defects.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2025