Communication to reduce Thalassemia disease

On the morning of July 9, the Nghe An Department of Population and Family Planning coordinated with the Que Phong District Health Center to organize a training and communication course to reduce Thalassemia (congenital hemolytic disease) for nearly 118 district and commune population officials and village health workers.

Thalassemia (congenital hemolytic anemia) is the most common genetic hematological disease in the world today, with 7% of the global population carrying the disease gene. More than 200 countries and territories are affected by this disease, including Vietnam. Currently, the country has more than 12 million people carrying the disease gene, and the highest rate of people carrying the disease gene is in mountainous districts.

This is one of the diseases that has been causing very serious consequences to the race and when the number of people carrying the disease gene is large, the disease is at risk of increasing rapidly if there is no preventive solution.

In Nghe An, according to the report of the Provincial Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center, the number of patients coming to the Center for treatment is about 350 - 400 people every year. This is only the number of patients detected and being treated at some hospitals. In reality, in the community, mainly in remote, mountainous areas, the number of patients that have not been detected is quite large. That shows that there has not been a specific assessment of the current situation of patients with congenital hemolytic anemia in Nghe An.

Speaking at the program, Dr. Phan Van Hue - Deputy Head of the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning said that the activities to prevent and control thalassemia included in the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas are an important step on the journey to repel Thalassemia.

Previously, Nghe An was one of the 5 provinces (along with Ha Giang, Yen Bai, Bac Giang, Thanh Hoa) selected to pilot the implementation of phase 1 of the Communication Program to reduce Thalassemia (from 2021 - 2025) with the goal of reducing the number of cases of fetal edema due to Thalassemia, reducing the number of children born with the disease, gradually improving the quality of treatment at medical facilities for ethnic minority patients, gradually prolonging the life of current patients.

At the program, students, officials and population collaborators from 13 communes and towns in Que Phong district were introduced in the most detailed and easy-to-understand way about the disease as well as its signs and prevention.

Through the knowledge provided, the leaders of the Department of Population and Family Planning hope that the trainees will actively update their knowledge and communication skills to propagate and mobilize people to raise awareness about thalassemia; the benefits of early screening and detection of the disease; helping all children to be born healthy. That will contribute to improving the quality of the population.

In addition to Que Phong, the program was also organized for officials and population collaborators in Ky Son district./.