Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA- The 8th of May constitutes a very special day as it is dedicated to both commemorate the thalassemia patients who are no longer with us but are always close in our hearts and to celebrate all those patients who are alive and fighting every day for their right to a better quality of life.
Millions of patients around the world are still unable to reach the required healthcare according to the International Thalassemia Federation which launched its annual campaign this year under the title ” Building bridges with and for patients”.
Surveys show that 7 percent of the world’s population have has acute hemoglobin disorders, including thalassemia, and that between 300 and 500 thousand children are born every year with these disorders, according to the International Federation, which confirms that research has transformed the disease from fatal in early childhood to chronic.
In Syria, Ministry of Health is taking all the required measures to launch a national project to eliminate thalassemia through spreading health culture on the disease in the society and improving the quality of services provided at the clinics and providing the required media promotion for them.
Head of the Communicable and Chronic Diseases Department at the Ministry of Health Dr. Hazar Faroun told SANA that the vision of the project is based on achieving the goal of a society free of new births with thalassemia by 2025.
The number of people with thalassemia registered by the Ministry of Health by the end of last March reached up to 4,677 patients, according to Dr. Faroun who confirmed that those patients receive all the required treatment and medicines free of charge at 12 specialized centers in the provinces.
Faroun noted that the Department is developing plans for treatment programs for the disease and drawing up strategies for preventive and therapeutic measures, in addition to preparing plans, participating in studies and providing necessary data, as well as providing training and qualification for health workers who provide services to patients.
The thalassemia program at the Ministry of Health provides diagnosis and treatment with psychological support and social guidance.
The program adopts a special card for patients with thalassemia and the development of a database to help in the development of therapeutic and pharmaceutical needs for all patients.
The Ministry of Health last year issued the first guide to the management of thalassemia and it was circulated to all centers to apply a standardized scientific treatment to all patients.
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder characterized by abnormal hemoglobin production. The symptoms depend on the type and can vary from none to severe. Often there is mild to severe anemia (low red blood cells).
Ruaa al-Jazaeri