LETTERS: The International Thalassaemia Day is observed annually on May 8.
It is dedicated to raising awareness about thalassaemia among the general public and decision-makers, as well as assisting the global thalassaemia community in connecting and promoting for changes to improve patients' lives and wellbeing.
Thalassaemia is a significant public health concern in Malaysia, where around 4.5 to six per cent of the population is a carrier of the genetic disorder.
Most forms of thalassaemia may be effectively controlled by blood transfusions.
However, a person with thalassaemia will need to see a haematologist on a regular basis for treatment and monitoring for complications.
Thalassaemia is a hereditary condition that is handed down from one generation to the next.
Male and female children are equally susceptible to the condition. It is also more common among Italians, Greeks, Middle Easterners and Asians.
Another interesting point that has emerged from the high prevalence of thalassaemia from certain regions such as the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia is that the thalassemia-causing mutation provides varying levels of resistance against malaria and has been suggested to have emerged as an adaptive response to malaria in those regions.
This adaptation may explain why some humans have been able to thrive in malaria-infested areas while others have died.
In an effort to create awareness on thalassaemia among schoolchildren, various campaigns have been conducted by the Health Ministry in collaboration with the Education Ministry.
The initiative intends to give students, particularly those in secondary schools, more information and a chance to take an active role in managing and preventing the condition.
Despite the fact that thalassemia is one of the most common hereditary blood illnesses in Malaysia, most Malaysians are still ignorant about how serious yet preventable the condition is.
This is where the Health Ministry plays an important role in teaching the public about the need to get tested for thalassaemia, especially before tying the knot.
This is so that future parents are informed of their carrier status and may prevent passing the genetic disorder to their offspring.
More education programmes aimed at raising thalassaemia awareness should be conducted. Community-based education programmes have been shown to reduce knowledge gaps about thalassaemia among people from different walks of life.
There is still a lot more to be done to make Malaysians aware of thalassaemia as well as the complications that come with the disorder.
We should be more proactive in educating our fellow Malaysians.
NOR RAFIDA MOHD SENI
School of Languages, Literacies, Translations, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan
PROFESSOR ZILFALIL ALWI
Consultant paediatrician and clinical geneticist, USM; and head, Malaysian Node of the Human Variome Project
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times