Up to 1m M'sians have Thalassemia
Published on: Thursday, May 21, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: About 600,000 to one million Malaysians are estimated to be Thalassemia carriers, said Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr. Mohd Harun Abdullah."I understand that the disease is one of the main health issues in Malaysia and several researches have shown one in 20 of Malaysians are Thalassemia gene carriers," he said.He explained that Thalassemia is a genetic disease that disrupts the development of normal red blood cells.ADVERTISEMENT Patients would produce red blood cells that are easily ruptured or destroyed. Often, they will look pale due to the low level of haemoglobin.However, it has been proven that the disease can be prevented and controlled through community support."The Health Ministry has implemented various programmes such as Thalassemia screening test, counselling and health promotions throughout the country," he said in his speech delivered by Vice Chancellor (Academic and International), Prof. Dr. D Kamarudin D Mudin. "I am proud to inform that a total of 241 individuals have undergone Thalassemia screening test and Likas Hospital has received 29 pints of blood from May 18 to 20. Our students also have the opportunity to participate in the health promotion activities," he said during the District-level Thalassemia Day celebration at the university's Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition (FSMP) here, Wednesday.ADVERTISEMENT "The university is the best place to create awareness for the genetic disease as most of the students are young and single," he said, adding that the university could be the catalyst in spreading related information to the community."Teenagers are the most appropriate group to undergo Thalassemia screening test because counselling works effectively at their age," said Kota Kinabalu District Health Officer Dr. Mohammad Saffree Jeffree.
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It is important for teenagers to understand the importance of undergoing the screening test especially when they have entered into their marriage lives. Therefore, he said the programme would not only educate them on the disease but to find out whether they are Thalassemia carriers or not and avoid settling down with a partner who is also a carrier of the disease as well. In 2014, a total of 12, 947 people had undergone the Thalassemia screening test in Kota Kinabalu and 466 of them are found to be Thalassemia carriers.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"Our target for this year are teenagers aged between 16 and 24. This is appropriate as the average age of the UMS students are between 20 and 24 years old. However, we welcome every one of all ages to do the screening test as well," he said.Towards this end, Saffree urged the people to cooperate to prevent the disease by spreading precise information to the rest and encourage each other especially those in risk to undergo the Thalassemia screening test.