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A scientific seminar and awareness programme on thalassemia was held at Dhaka College on Monday, August 24, under the initiative of the Bangladesh Thalassemia Patients and Parents Welfare Association and with sponsorship from National Credit and Commerce (NCC) Bank Limited.
The seminar was held at the Dhaka College auditorium at 10am, with Kamrun Nahar Mukul, president of the association, in the chair. General Secretary Nasrin Ferdousi and Assistant Publicity and Publication Secretary Farhin Islam jointly moderated the programme.
Dhaka College Principal Professor A.K.M. Iliyas attended the event as the chief guest, while Vice Principal Professor Mohammad Anwar Mahmud and Md Anisur Rahman Majumder, head of the Financial Inclusion Cell of NCC Bank Limited, were present as special guests.
In her welcome speech, Kamrun Nahar Mukul said around 20 million people in Bangladesh are thalassemia carriers. She warned that when two carriers marry, there is a risk of their children being born with thalassemia. More than 70,000 people in the country are currently suffering from the inherited blood disorder, she said.
As part of the programme, blood samples were collected from Dhaka College students to identify thalassemia carriers. The initiative aimed to raise awareness among students about the importance of blood testing and carrier screening before marriage as a means of preventing the disease.
Professor Dr Md Belayet Hossain, adviser to the association and head of the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, presented the keynote paper. He highlighted the alarming situation of thalassemia in Bangladesh, the high cost of treatment and the urgent need for preventive measures.
Professor Dr Belayet Hossain said thalassemia is a hereditary blood disorder and that identifying carriers through blood tests before marriage and avoiding marriages between two carriers are among the most effective ways to prevent the disease. Increasing awareness among young people can help protect future generations from a significant burden of thalassemia, he added.
A quiz competition based on the keynote presentation was also organised to engage students and enhance their understanding of the disease. Prizes were distributed among the winners at the end of the programme.
The organisers said many thalassemia carriers unknowingly carry the gene responsible for the disease because carriers generally show no symptoms. They said carrier status can be identified through a haemoglobin electrophoresis test.
The organisers further said the main objective of such programmes is to build a social movement for thalassemia prevention by increasing awareness both in Dhaka and across the country, promoting carrier screening and highlighting the importance of blood testing before marriage.
