Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain on Monday stressed the need for greater public awareness of thalassaemia, warning that the inherited blood disorder could pose a serious health risk to future generations.

“Thalassaemia will be a very dangerous disease for the next generation,” he said, underscoring the importance of educating people about the disease, its risks and ways to prevent it.

He made the remarks at a discussion organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Sandhani Central Council and Sandhani National Eye Donation Society at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) in the capital, marking National Voluntary Blood and Posthumous Eye Donation Day.

Sandhani, a pioneer of the voluntary blood and eye donation movement in Bangladesh, also operates an eye bank and encourages people to pledge their eyes for donation after death to help restore sight to others.

The Minister called for regular seminars and awareness programmes to educate the public about thalassaemia and the importance of prevention, saying such initiatives should continue beyond special occasions.

He said he had also tried to raise awareness about the disease during visits to his constituency and urged others to spread the message in their respective communities.

The Minister also stressed the importance of promoting voluntary blood donation by addressing misconceptions about its effects on donors' health.

Urging doctors to use their professional and social interactions to motivate people, he said blood donation was a humanitarian act that could save lives.

He also called for highlighting the religious significance of blood donation to encourage more people to come forward.

The Minister said greater awareness of thalassaemia could help reduce the disease burden while ensuring an adequate supply of blood for patients who require regular transfusions.