UPSC Articles
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.
