Prevention of thalassemia in ethnic minority and mountainous areas
(Baonghean.vn) - The general goal of thalassemia prevention activities in ethnic minority and mountainous areas is to reduce the number of fetal hydrops caused by thalassemia, reduce the number of children born with thalassemia, gradually improve the quality of treatment at medical facilities for thalassemia patients of ethnic minorities, and gradually prolong the life expectancy of current patients.
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Conference on Deploying the Thalassemia Prevention Plan in 2022. Photo: Thanh Chung |
On the afternoon of October 24, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion coordinated with the Nghe An Department of Health to organize a conference to deploy activities to prevent congenital hemolytic anemia (Thalassemia) in 2022.
Attending the conference were Dr. Bach Quoc Khanh - Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion; Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ha Thanh - Director of the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion; leaders of the Nghe An Department of Health, departments, branches and sectors in the province; representatives of the Nghe An Center for Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Medical Centers of the districts of Ky Son, Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, Anh Son, Quy Chau, Que Phong, Quy Hop, Nghia Dan, Thanh Chuong, Tan Ky and Quynh Luu.
Sickcongenital hemolytic anemia(thalassemia) is a group of hemoglobin diseases that cause anemia, hereditary hemolysis, very dangerous. Patients must live with the disease for their whole life. It is estimated that the average cost of treatment for a severe patient from birth to 30 years old is about 3 billion VND. A severe patient from birth to 21 years old needs about 470 units of blood to sustain life.
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Dr. Nguyen Huu Le - Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Health opened the conference. Photo: Thanh Chung |
Thalassemiais the genetic disease with the highest rate in the world. In our country, there are about 12 million people carrying the gene for thalassemia and more than 20,000 people with severe disease needing lifelong treatment.
Every year, about 8,000 children are born with Thalassemia, of which about 2,000 are severely ill and about 800 cannot be born due to hydrops fetalis. People with the disease and carrying the gene are in all provinces/cities, ethnic groups nationwide... Preventing Thalassemia means preventing the birth of sick children.
To prevent thalassemia, on October 14, 2021, the Prime Minister approved the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development for Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period, phase 1 from 2021 to 2025.
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Currently, the Provincial Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center is treating over 60 patients with thalassemia and hundreds of patients with blood-related diseases. Photo: Thanh Chung |
In particular, the activity of preventing thalassemia in ethnic minority and mountainous areas belongs to Project 7 "Health care for people, improving the health and stature of ethnic minorities, preventing malnutrition in children". Project 7 is chaired by the Ministry of Health in coordination with the Ethnic Committee and ministries, branches, and localities... Nghe An is one of the 5 epidemiological localities (along with Ha Giang, Yen Bai, Bac Giang, Thanh Hoa) within the scope of the project implementation.
The project's activities to prevent thalassemia in ethnic minority and mountainous areas have the following general goals: Reduce the number of hydrops fetalis due to thalassemia, reduce the number of children born with thalassemia, gradually improve the quality of treatment at medical facilities for ethnic minority thalassemia patients, and gradually prolong the life of current patients.
The specific objectives of the project are: 25% of men and women receive pre-marital health consultation and examination in communes where interventions are implemented; 20% of pregnant mothers receive prenatal screening and screening in communes where interventions are implemented; 100% of obstetrics departments at provincial hospitals in 5 epidemiological provinces have communication and consultation on thalassemia; at least 10% of health workers, policy makers, managers, and community influencers have increased awareness of thalassemia.
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Dr. Bach Quoc Khanh - Secretary of the Party Committee of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion deploys the program of activities to prevent thalassemia in 2022. Photo: Thanh Chung |
The activities of preventing thalassemia in ethnic minority and mountainous areas are assigned to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. In Nghe An, the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Health assigned the Provincial Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center to be the focal point and take primary responsibility for organizing and coordinating with sectors, units and localities to implement this activity.
Preventing thalassemia in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, in 2022 and the coming time, Nghe An will focus on promoting communication activities on thalassemia to raise awareness, attitudes and behaviors of the community in disease screening; implementing thalassemia counseling in obstetrics departments of provincial and district hospitals; improving the quality of medical services in screening, diagnosis, treatment, care and counseling on thalassemia prevention; training on thalassemia; building a thalassemia screening model in localities...
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