Health authorities taking steps to combat thalassaemia
KUNDASANG (Sabah): Health authorities are taking drastic measures to combat thalassaemia by urging couples who carry the faulty gene either not to marry, or at the very least, not to have children.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said that battling the hereditary disease on all fronts began with discouraging couples who are both thalassaemia gene carriers from getting married, as there was a high risk of their children contracting the gene.
“Love is blind, (but) sometimes we cannot be blind to the risks involved, so it is important that such couples are properly counselled,” he said when launching the national-level International Thalassaemia Day.
Dr Chua said that if such couples decided to go ahead with the marriage, then the authorities would advise them to avoid having children.
In cases where a child is conceived, the authorities would recommend abortion, although a final decision lay with the couple themselves, taking into consideration their religious practices, he added.
Malaysia is currently staring 800,000 to 1.2 million thalassaemia carriers nationwide in the face.
Dr Chua said that his ministry was also targeting secondary schoolchildren for thalassaemia screening, as well as helping identified carriers not to be discriminated against.
Dr Chua handed over the Malaysian flag to a group of thalassaemia patients who would be climbing Mount Kinabalu on Nov 19.
Thalassaemia is a genetic disorder which destroys red blood cells. While some are only carriers of the gene, those affected by the disease known as “thalassaemia major” have to undergo regular blood transfusions to replace damaged red blood cells at least once a month.
But the blood transfusion, Dr Chua said, causes high levels of “iron” deposits to build up in their heart and kidneys, which could lead to system failure within 10 years.
He said that a gelatine agent was introduced through an infusion pump to remove the iron deposits in the body.
“The patients will go through a normal life but there is a lot of suffering,” he said, adding that Singapore and Cyprus had brought down the number of thalassaemia cases through blood screening and public awareness.
The Government was currently sponsoring the pump that costs about RM2,000 and the gelatine agent that costs about RM1,000 per patient.
“This year alone we have allocated RM40mil to help thalassaemia patients, he said, adding that there were about 3,115 thalassaemia major patients undergoing treatment nationwide, with Sabah recording 1,200, the highest in the country.
Dr Chua later launched the MyTalasenia Vortal that will allow patients to access their relevant health data via the internet or mobile phones, while the public could visit www.mythalassaemia.net.my.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said that battling the hereditary disease on all fronts began with discouraging couples who are both thalassaemia gene carriers from getting married, as there was a high risk of their children contracting the gene.
“Love is blind, (but) sometimes we cannot be blind to the risks involved, so it is important that such couples are properly counselled,” he said when launching the national-level International Thalassaemia Day.
Dr Chua said that if such couples decided to go ahead with the marriage, then the authorities would advise them to avoid having children.
In cases where a child is conceived, the authorities would recommend abortion, although a final decision lay with the couple themselves, taking into consideration their religious practices, he added.
Malaysia is currently staring 800,000 to 1.2 million thalassaemia carriers nationwide in the face.
Dr Chua said that his ministry was also targeting secondary schoolchildren for thalassaemia screening, as well as helping identified carriers not to be discriminated against.
Dr Chua handed over the Malaysian flag to a group of thalassaemia patients who would be climbing Mount Kinabalu on Nov 19.
Thalassaemia is a genetic disorder which destroys red blood cells. While some are only carriers of the gene, those affected by the disease known as “thalassaemia major” have to undergo regular blood transfusions to replace damaged red blood cells at least once a month.
But the blood transfusion, Dr Chua said, causes high levels of “iron” deposits to build up in their heart and kidneys, which could lead to system failure within 10 years.
He said that a gelatine agent was introduced through an infusion pump to remove the iron deposits in the body.
“The patients will go through a normal life but there is a lot of suffering,” he said, adding that Singapore and Cyprus had brought down the number of thalassaemia cases through blood screening and public awareness.
The Government was currently sponsoring the pump that costs about RM2,000 and the gelatine agent that costs about RM1,000 per patient.
“This year alone we have allocated RM40mil to help thalassaemia patients, he said, adding that there were about 3,115 thalassaemia major patients undergoing treatment nationwide, with Sabah recording 1,200, the highest in the country.
Dr Chua later launched the MyTalasenia Vortal that will allow patients to access their relevant health data via the internet or mobile phones, while the public could visit www.mythalassaemia.net.my.
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