World Thalassaemia Day

World Thalassaemia Day
It is unacceptable that many of us don’t even know what Thalassaemia is. It’s no longer an excuse to be ignorant as it is important for people to know this carrier rate of 3% to 5% in the country. Today is world Thalassaemia Day.

What is Thalassaemia? (Also known as Cooley’s anemia or Mediterranean Anemia)It’s an inherited blood disorder which reduces the amount of hemoglobin in our bodies hence affecting the performance of our red blood cells. Now, it’s needless to stress the importance of having healthy red blood cells as these cells are of utmost importance in ensuring our body gets its vital oxygen.

Thalassaemia major
Children with Thalaseamia major are born normal but become anemic between the ages of three months and 18 months resulting in the need for medical treatment and frequent blood transfusion hence become transfusion dependent. When these children are not treated, they usually do not live long enough to pass their ninth birthday. Those with Thalassaemia major require live long treatment to survive.

Thalassaemia minor
These bunches of people are basically the carriers of the disease. They are healthy and normal as everyone else with only a handful of them having slight anemia. The scary thing about this Thalassaemia type is that many people do not know that they are carriers until too late.

Thalassaemia intermediate
Patients with clinical features between those of Thalassaemia trait and Thalassaemia major are categorized as having Thalassaemia intermediate. A majority of these patients can survive without regular blood transfusions. Children with Thalassaemia intermediate usually display symptoms later compared with children with Thalassaemia major.