Sri Lanka is home to nearly 2,000 thalassemia patients, with the highest concentrations reported from Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Ampara and Batticaloa, a top health official revealed.
Dr. Champika Wickramasinghe, Deputy Director General (Non-Communicable Diseases) of the Health Ministry, said more than 100 patients have been identified in each of those districts, while about 60 children are born with the genetic disorder every year.
She was speaking in Kurunegala at the national ceremony to mark World Thalassemia Day.
Explaining that thalassemia results from a genetic defect in haemoglobin production, Dr. Wickramasinghe urged young men and women of marriageable age to undergo a blood test before marriage to determine whether they are carriers.
“If carriers refrain from marrying one another, thalassemia can be completely eradicated from Sri Lanka,” she said.
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