Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) has announced plans to implement nationwide awareness activities to address the growing risk of thalassemia in Bangladesh.
The initiatives will be carried out under PKSF’s Preventive Healthcare Programme through its extensive network of Partner Organisations across the country.
The announcement came at a voluntary blood donation and thalassemia awareness programme held on Sunday at PKSF Bhaban-1 in Agargaon, Dhaka.
The event was jointly organised by PKSF and Bangladesh Thalassemia Samity and Hospital.
PKSF Chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan, Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader and Executive Director of Bangladesh Thalassemia Samity and Hospital Dr A K M Ekramul Hossain addressed the programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Zakir Ahmed Khan said there is no alternative to public awareness in preventing thalassemia. Considering the severity of the disease and the high cost of treatment, he stressed the need for strong preventive measures.
He said coordinated efforts, regular screening and enhanced social awareness could play a decisive role in preventing thalassemia in Bangladesh.
PKSF Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader said PKSF’s Partner Organisations currently provide health, financial protection and a range of development services to around 22.5 million people nationwide.
Leveraging this vast network, he said, PKSF would take effective steps to prevent thalassemia through premarital screening of prospective brides and grooms, identification of carriers and promotion of behavioural change.
Highlighting the alarming rise in thalassemia cases, Dr A K M Ekramul Hossain said around 15,000 children are born with thalassemia every year in Bangladesh, while about 11.4 per cent of the population are carriers of the genetic disorder.
He underscored the urgent need to raise mass awareness to reduce the growing burden of the disease.
Speakers noted that thalassemia is a preventable genetic blood disorder.
A child develops the disease only when both parents are carriers; if one parent is a carrier and the other is healthy, the disease does not occur.
They emphasised the importance of knowing one’s carrier status before marriage and proposed incorporating thalassemia screening into the marriage registration process. Examples from countries such as Cyprus, Italy and Greece were cited, where mandatory screening and discouraging marriages between carriers have reduced thalassemia cases to nearly zero.
Later, PKSF Chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan formally inaugurated the blood donation programme, thanked the voluntary donors and encouraged them to continue their altruistic efforts. Officials and staff from various levels of PKSF actively participated in the blood donation campaign.