PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar and awareness walk held on Friday in Peshawar called for a coordinated and effective effort by the government and all relevant stakeholders to prevent thalassemia, describing it as an urgent public health challenge.
The event was organised by Alkhidmat Hospital Nishtarabad in connection with World Thalassemia Day. Central President of the foundation Professor Dr Hafeezur Rahman, provincial president Khalid Waqas, Deputy Commissioner Peshawar Captain (Retd) Sanaullah Khan, provincial general secretary Shakir Siddiqui, Dr Naveed Sharif, Dr Intikhab Alam, and others led the awareness walk.
Addressing the seminar, the speakers said that preventive measures and public awareness were essential to curb the spread of thalassemia, which they described as a serious and incurable disease. They emphasised that the government, political parties, religious scholars, media, and all segments of society must work together to address the issue effectively.
The speakers explained that thalassemia is a hereditary disorder passed from parents to children, adding that prevention and awareness were more important than treatment in controlling the disease.
They said that apart from bone marrow transplantation, no permanent cure for thalassemia currently exists, making preventive measures the only effective way to stop its spread.They said that several countries, including Italy, Greece, Egypt, Iran, and Bangladesh, had successfully controlled the disease through effective strategies and preventive policies, despite being heavily affected by thalassemia in previous decades.
The speakers also highlighted the importance of creating awareness through the media, particularly through mosques and religious platforms. They warned that around 5,000 new thalassemia cases are reported annually in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is an alarming situation.
They further said that legislation making thalassemia screening mandatory before marriage was enacted during the MMA government, but stressed that effective implementation of the law remained the need of the hour. Cousin marriages were also identified as a major factor contributing to the spread of the disease, and the speakers called for mandatory pre-marital screening to address the issue.
According to the organizers, more than 1,300 thalassemia patients from Peshawar, Charsadda and other districts are registered with Alkhidmat Hospital Nishtarabad, where they are being provided free blood transfusions and medical facilities on a regular basis. The registered patients include individuals from various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
Later, the hospital director presented commemorative shields to the guests, while certificates were distributed among teachers and students from various educational institutions in Peshawar in recognition of their blood donations for children suffering from thalassemia.
