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Thalassemia
Context
'World Thalassaemia Day' is celebrated every year on 8 May to spread awareness about this disease.
What is Thalassemia?
- Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that affect the body’s ability to produce normal hemoglobin, leading to chronic anemia.
- It is caused by mutations in the HBB gene responsible for beta-globin production.
- Hemoglobin is made of two proteins:
- Alpha globin
- Beta globin
- Thalassemia occurs when there is a variant in a gene that helps control production of one of these proteins.
- It leads to excessive destruction of red blood cells and causing anemia.
- It is genetic and can range from mild to severe, requiring regular blood transfusions or lifelong management.
- There are two main types:
- Thalassemia Minor (carrier state) – usually asymptomatic.
- Thalassemia Major (disease state) – requires lifelong transfusions.
- The disease burden is aggravated by low awareness, intra-community marriages, and poor early screening practices.
- India sees 10,000 to 15,000 babies born with Thalassemia Major every year (NHM 2016).
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