Thalassemia testing before marriage will soon become a law in Punjab, according to Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid.
About 6000 children are born annually in Pakistan with thalassemia major – an inherited blood disorder that leads to low haemoglobin levels. Not only do they have a lower than average life expectancy but they also need regular blood transfusions to survive. About 10 million people are healthy carriers of the gene and can pass it onto offspring if they marry another carrier.
The law, that had been drafted in 2016, aims to curb thalassemia rates in the country by identifying carriers. If two carriers still marry they can be fined up to PKR100,000.
Speaking as chief guest on Tuesday at a seminar about the latest developments on thalassemia, the minister said that a research institute on genetic diseases will be set up soon.
The minister appreciated the organisers for holding the event to raise awareness about thalassemia and said that an awareness booklet on the disease had been prepared jointly by the Punjab Thalassemia Prevention Institute and the University of Leeds (UK). 7,000 pre-marriage thalassemia tests had also been arranged at the event.
Talking to journalists, the minister said that while all medical universities have been directed to carry out research on thalassemia, the biggest challenge this year was to “overcome the corona pandemic and vaccinate more and more people.”
