President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday called upon all to create awareness to prevent thalassemia.
They made the call in separate messages on the eve of 'World Thalassemia Day' that would be observed on Sunday.
The World Thalassemia Day is celebrated every year on May 8 aiming to raise awareness about the disease among people throughout the world.
President Abdul Hamid, in his message, said thalassemia is a genetically inherited disease and it passes on through a carrier.
If both husband and wife are carriers of thalassemia, it can spread to children through the gene of the parents, the head of the state said, adding that therefore, it is important to determine whether a man or a woman is a carrier of the disease through premarital examination.
He said caution is exercised in establishing marital relations between men and women carrying the thalassemia gene in different countries of the world in order to prevent thalassemia.
"It is very important to create public awareness in Bangladesh to prevent this hereditary anemia," he continued.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said it is very important for married persons (both male and female) to know if they are carriers of this disease before marriage.
The prime minister urged all professional individuals and organisations, voluntary organisations, the media, parents and conscious civil society to come forward, along with the government, to build social movements at home and in the neighbourhoods of the country to prevent the incurable disease.
The greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman undertook various activities, including establishment of hospitals for the development of the medical system of the country soon after independence, she said.
Following his (Bangabandhu's) footsteps, the present Awami League-led government is implementing massive development activities to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of the people and build a healthy, strong and functioning community by providing affordable quality Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) services to the people.
"With the joint efforts of all, I will build 'Golden Bangladesh' as dreamt by Father of the Nation through the implementation of 'Vision-2041' in the health sector," she added.
Both the president and the prime minister wished for the overall success of all the programmes taken on the occasion of 'World Thalassemia Day'.
