Thalassemia is a blood disorder inherited through families. The body makes an abnormal form or inadequate amount of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The disorder results in large numbers of red blood cells being destroyed, which leads to anemia. According to an estimate, there are 9.8 million carriers of thalassemia genes in Pakistan. To understand the outbreak of this disease, Daastan invited two renowned doctors on a Live panel discussion.Â
Thalassemia Through Specialists
We invited Dr. Shahzad Ali Baloach & Dr. Imran Asghar to our Facebook Live. The discussion revolved around Prevention of Thalassemia in our Society. Dr. Shehzad is a Consultant Haematologist and Senior Lecturer at Departmrnt of PathologyIndus Medical College Tando Muhammad Khan. Dr. Imran Asghar is Pediatric in Khalida Memorial Hospital, Sialkot. We asked a set of different questions to our guests to understand this disease better. The number of suspected carriers in Pakistan is alarming. Our panelists guided us on how we can prevent it on a societal level.
Our guests emphasized the need for general awareness regarding the disease. Thalassemia is a genetic disease and passes down to generations mostly due to cousin marriages. They also proposed that the government should pass legislation and get it implemented at the earliest. Dr. Shehzad pointed out that the government of Sindh and the Federal government have already passed the bill for prevention of Thalassemia. However, no action has been taken towards its implementation yet.
Response from Viewers
Our guest speakers answered different questions coming from the audience. The questions revolved around mortality rate and effective measures to prevent the disease. People responded with gratefulness as the talk answered the basic questions about the disease. It made them well aware of the issue and they found it very informative.
Daastan aims to conduct such awareness sessions as there is a rising need to address these misconceptions. People need to be aware of the deadly diseases and they must know the preventive measures. We believe that prevention is better than cure and awareness is an important part of prevention of the disease. Such sessions will break common taboos present in our society and the audience will be able to comprehend the severity of various diseases. Help us spread the word by joining us on social media!
