Blood tests should be made compulsory before marriage to ensure building a thalassemia-free Bangladesh, health experts have said at a reunion of blood donors and recipients.
They said the blood test helps identify the carriers of thalassemia and prevent 25 per cent of children’s birth from this inherited blood disorder.
The first-ever reunion of over 200 blood donors and 200 thalassemic patients was organised by the Quantum Foundation (QF) at the IDEB Bhaban in Dhaka, marking World Blood Donor Day on Wednesday.
The prime minister’s personal physician and Emeritus Prof of BSMMU ABM Abdullah attended the function as the chief guest and spoke during a seminar on thalassemia later on.
Presided over by QF Voluntary Blood Donation Programme Chief Coordinator Madam Nahar Al Bokhari, the seminar was addressed by Haematology Society of Bangladesh President Prof Brig Gen (retd) AKM Mustafa Abedin and Bangladesh Thalassemia Society Hospital advisor Syed Didar Bakht.
QF Director Motivation of Voluntary Blood Donation Programme M Rezaul Hasan also spoke.
In his speech, ABM Abdullah said though the total cure for thalassemia is still under research, its prevention can be ensured by identifying the carriers before marriage and thus checking the number of births.
He assured of highlighting the importance of the compulsory blood test at the time of marriage registration to the prime minister so that a related policy guideline can be formulated.
Didar Bakht said 80 to 90 per cent of thalassemia can be prevented by stopping the marriage of two carriers. He said India, Pakistan, Turkey, Italy etc, have already been declared thalassemia-free countries.
Mustafa Abedin laid importance on registering the numbers of carriers to curb the spread of thalassemia.
