Free thalassaemia blood screening

NST: Form Four students will get free blood screening for thalassaemia, a possibly fatal genetic blood disorder, later this year.
The screening, to be done by the Public Health Department, is aimed at early detection of the disorder which affects the production of haemoglobin, that results in severe anaemia.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek confirmed tonight that a pilot project would be carried out in the Federal Territory, after which the programme would be extended to other States.
For a start, the screening will be available to some 200,000 Form Four students nationwide.
It was announced last year that the Health Ministry had a RM22 million allocation for 2006 to handle free screenings, as well as to tackle the disease through education, treatment and a national registry.
Federation of Malaysia Thalassaemia Societies president Ramli Mohd Yunus, who is also a member of the National Thalassaemia Prevention and Control Steering Committee, said that Form Four students were selected for the tests because they did not have to sit for any major examinations and therefore their studies would not be interrupted.
"At that age, most of them do not have permanent partners yet, and can be counselled on the risks and implications if they are carriers or suffering from thalassaemia minor," he said.
Three to four per cent of the population are thalassaemics. Most are classified as carriers or suffering from thalassaemia minor.
If both father and mother are carriers, there is a 25 per cent chance that their child will have thalassaemia major.
The disease must be treated with blood transfusions and Desferrioxamine, a chelating agent to remove excess iron as a result of the transfusions.
Ramli said thalassaemia major required lifelong treatment of regular transfusions to boost haemoglobin levels.
"The red blood cells, which help carry oxygen, in sufferers are short-lived. As a result, they suffer from severe anaemia," he said, adding that the symptoms included pallour, sleeping difficulties and poor appetite, and could lead to the enlargement of organs such as the spleen and liver.