THE Thalassaemia Society of Pakistan's decision to establish a thalassaemia centre in Dera Ghazi Khan is a welcome one in a country where this inherited blood disorder is common. By one estimate, the number of children with thalassaemia major — the more virulent form of the disorder — born every year in Pakistan is 6,000, although with few proper surveys, the figure could be much higher. Combating this disorder requires lifelong blood transfusions — among other treatments — which carry their own risks, especially in a country where screening for pathogens is not undertaken seriously. Prevention, then, appears to be the best course — and it is one that the health authorities would do well to emphasise. Screening couples for thalassaemia before marriage should be a mandatory process so that they are aware of the risks of starting a family. A sustained public campaign to educate people on thalassaemia and its potentially fatal consequences is just as important. With the media's expanding outreach in recent years, there should be no difficulty in spreading the message.

The fact is that places like Cyprus and Iran have, through rigorous programmes, brought down the incidence of thalassaemia cases amongst their respective people. Cousin marriages, that boost the chances of giving birth to thalassaemic children given that the parents could be carriers of the defective gene or suffer from the disorder themselves, are widely prevalent in Pakistan. In these circumstances, international examples such as those mentioned above, merit close study by the government and independent organisations. The former must show the necessary will to lessen the incidence of this illness.