LAHORE, May 8: International Thalassaemia Day was observed here on Wednesday.

A function was organized by the Thalassaemia Society of Pakistan at the Children Library Complex. Thalassaemics, their families, doctors and volunteers participated.

TSP president Dr Jovaria Man-nan said the prevalence of thalassaemia was increasing in Pakistan at the rate of 4,000 per year. She stressed the need for undertaking an awareness campaign to reduce the incidence of the disease.

Speaking on the occasion, TSP secretary Dr Yasmin Rashid urged the people to step forward and help thalassaemics. She said the government and the non-government organizations could not tackle the problem without community support.

Thalassaemia is a genetic blood disorder, the most prevalent inherited disease in Pakistan. It results in the formation of abnormal red blood cells. The abnormality causes a reduction in the number of red cells that leads to anaemia. There are 32,000 affected children registered with various NGOs in the urban areas of the country.

It is estimated that over seven per cent of the population carries a defective gene that controls the production of haemoglobin, a major constituent of red blood. The treatment involves blood transfusion on a monthly basis. — Staff Reporter