Bangladesh, May 12 -- As elsewhere across the globe, Bangladesh observed the World Thalassaemia Day on May 8. It is a stark reminder that we can prevent this preventable disease.
The country has already succeeded in controlling many infectious diseases. In spite of these successes, the health sector now faces burdens of such non-communicable diseases.
Among the diseases, the most commonly found genetic disorder - thalassaemia syndrome - will be a major public health problem in the coming days in the country.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, approximately three percent of the population (3.6 million) carry B-thalassaemia and four percent (4.8 million) carry haemoglobin E (HbE) genes in Bangladesh.
It is assumed tha...