UAE | Health

Thalassaemia awareness campaign launched in Dubai

Thalassaemia, an inherited blood disorder, is a highly prevalent disease in the UAE but can easily be prevented with a simple and inexpensive blood test.

  • WAM
  • Published: 00:28 April 18, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: Building on last year's enormously successful Tour of Hope the UAE's Thalassaemia community will launch Hope Continues, a campaign that will call for increased awareness of the need for pre-marital blood testing, as well as greater volumes of blood donation.

Thalassaemia, an inherited blood disorder, is a highly prevalent disease in the UAE but can easily be prevented with a simple and inexpensive blood test. Thalassaemia carriers are healthy people and can have healthy children, but they should not marry other carriers as they risk producing children with Thalassaemia Major.

This year, the UAE's Thalassaemia community will be calling for increased awareness of the need for pre-marital blood tests and greater volumes of blood donation. Making pre-marital blood tests compulsory in other parts of the region has contributed to the prevention of Thalassaemia, and we want the UAE to be a part of this, said Dr Khowla Belhoul, Director, Thalassemia Centre, Dubai Health Authority.

"Effective prevention programmes have been demonstrated throughout Europe as well. In the past 20 years, no new cases of Thalassaemia have been reported in Cyprus because carriers were identified through a simple blood test and were not allowed to marry another carrier.

Blood donation

We also require greater volumes of blood to be donated so we are able to supply patients with the life-saving transfusions they need every three weeks. We want to encourage everyone to donate blood at the Blood Donation Centres or take part in one of our many blood drives throughout the year. Ultimately, we want to improve the service UAE Thalassaemia patients are receiving, not just in Dubai but across the entire country," Dr Belhoul added.

International Thalas-saemia Day takes place each year on May 8 but the UAE has scheduled its event on Saturday May 3 at the Dubai Creek Park, a date and time they believe will be more convenient and accessible for a greater number of UAE participants.

Thalassaemia patients and families attending the May 3 event will participate in an educational lecture presented by doctors from across the UAE, and will then have an opportunity to ask questions about treatment updates. The evening will be devoted to entertainment and leisure activities.

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