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August 09, 2009 18:24 PM
Transfusion-dependent Thalassemia Patients Doubled - Rosmah
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- The number of registered transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients nationwide has nearly doubled in five years, to 4,385.
In 2004, there were 2,500 registered patients.
Therefore, the younger generation especially, who planned to get hitched or were seeking spouses, need to undergo blood screening test to determine whether they were thalassemia carriers, said the prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
"Without any pro-active intervention, the number of new thalassemic cases will increase unabated, due to marriage between carriers.
"Currently, there are nearly a million thalassemia carriers in the country, which means about one out of 20 Malaysians is a carrier," she said at the launch of Thalassemia Awareness Day 2009 here on Sunday.
Rosmah, who is also Thalassemia Association of Malaysia's patron, said awareness campaigns such as this, would keep the interest and curiosity going, with the public constantly reminded of the disease and its transmission mode.
Thalassemia is an inherited form of anaemia or a blood disorder which is divided into Thalassemia Minor and Thalassemia Major.
Children of healthy Thalassemia Minor couples could suffer from Thalassemia Major.
Thalassemia Major is a very serious disease which, if untreated, can cause death to children aged between one and eight.
-- BERNAMA
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