Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 29 August, 2020:  The Dubai Health Authority’s Thalassemia Centre highlighted that it has observed a reduction in the number of new Thalassemia cases that are recorded at the centre over the past few years. 

 

Dr Fatheya Al Khaja, Director of the Thalassemia Centre also highlighted that although the last few months have been challenging due to COVID-19, the centre has continued to provide life-saving transfusions in a safe environment keeping all international protocols and safety measures in mind. Moreover, the Centre has ensured that patients receive their medications at home through the DHA’s Dawaee initiative.

 

In the UAE, 8.5 per cent of the population are carriers. 

 

Dr Al Khaja encouraged the community to continue donating blood as Thalassemia Major patients need life-saving blood transfusions every three to four weeks. They require these transfusions from birth.

 

Dr Al Khaja said, “We would like to encourage the community to continue donating blood as a significant percentage of the donated blood is needed for life-saving regular transfusions for Thalassemia patients.”

 

In terms of reduction in the number of new cases, she said that rise in awareness levels have directly resulted in reduction of new cases of Thalassemia. 

 

Since 2007, the Centre has begun exhaustive community outreach and awareness activities educating the youth about the importance of the pre-marital law and its benefits, which has directly resulted in reducing the number of Thalassaemia cases in the emirate. 

 

 

Dr Al Khaja said, “Our aim is to ensure that no new baby is born with the disease in the UAE and this is a very attainable goal.”

 

 

The centre has regularly conducted awareness campaigns especially in schools, colleges and universities educating the youth about the premarital screening law for genetic diseases, which was introduced in 2006. The campaigns also educate the youth about the disease as well as its life-long complications. 

 

 

She highlighted that community members should be well aware of the benefits of premarital screening and take advantage of such an opportunity to prevent future generations from getting the disease. 

 

 

“My message to couples is that they should go for the screening much in advance so that if both are carriers of the gene, they should avoid getting married. It is unadvisable for two Thalassemia carriers to get married because in such cases with each pregnancy there is a 25 per cent chance that a child will be born with the disease, a 50 per cent chance the child will only be a carrier and a 25 per cent chance the child will not be affected.

If only one partner has Thalassemia, then all their off springs will be carriers of the disease. It is advisable to get screened in advance and not few days prior to marriage.”

 

 

She added that it is advisable that students after grade 12 to get themselves tested to understand whether they are a carrier or not so that that they can take future decisions after due considerations.