Thalassemia Screening and Counselling Centre launched

  • IASbaba
  • August 19, 2020
  • 0
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Thalassemia Screening and Counselling Centre launched

Part of: GS-Prelims and GS-II – Health

In News:

  • Thalassemia Screening and Counselling Centre at Indian Red Cross Society’s National Headquarters (IRCS NHQ) Blood Bank, New Delhi was recently inaugurated.
  • Ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare 

Important value additions 

Thalassemia

  • It is a type of Haemoglobinopathies. Sickle cell disease is another example.
  • It is an inherited disorders of red blood cells and 
  • It is preventable.
  • In India, Thalassemia Major (TM) and the severe form of Thalassemia Intermedia (TI) constitute the major burden of disease.
  • It is caused by inheritance of abnormal (beta) Thalassemia genes from both parents or abnormal beta-Thalassemia gene from one parent and abnormal variant haemoglobin gene (HbE, HbD) from the other parent.
  • India has the largest number of children with Thalassemia major in the world.
  • The only cure: Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT). 
    • It is difficult and not affordable by the parents of all these children.
  • Alternative treatment: Repeated blood transfusions, followed by regular iron chelation therapy to remove the excessive iron overload.

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