Young men and women planning to marry are being urged to undergo a Complete Blood Count (CBC) test prior to marriage to determine whether they are carriers of thalassaemia, Deputy Director General of Health (Non-Communicable Diseases), Dr. Champika Wickramasinghe said.
Dr. Wickramasinghe highlighted the importance of public awareness during a national commemoration organised to mark International Thalassaemia Day.
The event took place recently at the Bluesky Hotel in Kurunegala and was hosted by the Lanka Thalassaemia Organization (LTO).
Dr. Wickramasinghe stressed that thalassaemia is a hereditary condition passed on through genes and that about 10% of Sri Lanka’s population carries the relevant gene.
She noted that approximately 2,000 people in the country are currently living with thalassaemia.
National health budgets allocate around 15% annually for treatment services for these patients, with individual treatment costs exceeding Rs 10 million per year.
Additionally, surgical procedures such as bone marrow transplantation can cost more than Rs 40 million per patient.
The Deputy Director General also pointed out that thalassaemia patients are predominantly reported from areas such as Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Ampara, and Madakalapuwa, with around 60 children born with the disease every year.
She emphasised that prevention through early screening and informed family planning is the most critical step in combating the condition.
International Thalassaemia Day is observed annually on 8 May. This year’s theme, ‘United for Thalassaemia: Community Engagement, Prioritising Patients’, reflects the importance of public participation and prioritising patient welfare.
The national commemoration in Kurunegala was attended by a wide array of dignitaries, including Ven. Katana Dhammarakkhitha Thera, specialists from North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Professor Anuja Premawardhana of the Mahara Regional Thalassaemia Unit, as well as representatives from LTO, including Chairman Madhush Kumar and Secretary Hansi Sewwandi.
Directors and medical staff from teaching hospitals in Kurunegala and Ampara, regional thalassaemia unit representatives, nurses, doctors and thalassaemia patients also participated in the event.
(Source: Ceylon Today)
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