Schools asked to spread awareness on thalassaemia

New Delhi: The Delhi government Tuesday directed all schools in the national capital to sensitise students and staff members about thalassemia and invite health experts to talk about it.

Thalassaemia is a major genetic disorder and is passed from parents to children. Every year around 10,000 to 12,000 children are born with thalassaemia major in India. There are around three lakh thalassaemia affected people in India currently. Referring to a study, the Delhi government said one out of every 18 births is a thalassaemia carrier in Delhi. In Delhi around 200 births of thalassaemia major take place every year, it said.

"All Heads of government, government aided and private schools are directed to invite any officer or doctor from Health Department having expertise in thalassaemia to deliver a special talk and sensitize the students and staff members about the disease," the Directorate of Education (DoE) said in a letter to schools.

These patients require repeated and regular blood transfusion and iron chelation therapy for survival, it said. "The average cost per patient is Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,00,000 per year which is bound to increase further with inflation. "A thalassaemia child on an average requires 30 units of blood every year. Thalassaemia major births can be completely prevented through awareness, sensitization and timely screening," it added.