Awareness by ISHA (International Society for Health Awareness) on “World Thalassemia Day” (May 8)

1. World Thalassemia Day is celebrated every year on 8th of May to increase the awareness about this disease among common public all through the world. Celebrating World Thalassemia Day on 8th of May was established by the World Health Organization in order to raise the public awareness about this disease, prevention measures and measures to avoid its transmission.
2. The theme for this year is “Access to Safe & Effective Drugs in Thalassaemia.”
3. World Thalassemia Day celebration also promotes and encourages the common public for the pre-marriage test to reduce the genetic problems among families.
4. Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive blood disorders which gets inherited from parents to the children through genes. It is a blood disorder causes weakening and destruction of the red blood cells, affects the formation of hemoglobin in the body and causes mild or severe anemia. It causes complications like bone deformities, iron overload, cardiovascular illnesses, heart palpitations, enlarged liver, jaundice, enlarged spleen, enlarged bones of cheeks or forehead, delayed puberty etc.
5. Around 3.4% of the people are carrier of the thalassemia and around 7000 to 10,000 children are born with thalassemia per year in India. It can be of any type such as alpha thalassemia, beta thalassemia, delta thalassemia and combination of other hemoglobinopathies (hemoglobin C, D, E and S).
6. It is seen among children of one or two years of life, Mild thalassemia sometimes does not show any symptoms thus can be undiagnosed until blood test (complete blood count, CBC test). It can be treated through the blood transfusion, B group vitamins supplements, iron chelation therapy and blood and bone marrow stem cell transplantation to maintain the normal level of haemoglobin and healthy RBCs.
7. Since, it is an inheritable disease so cannot be prevented completely however, it can be lessen through the prenatal tests which helps in the early detection and cure before the child birth. It is requested to all the carriers of thalassemia gene to meet a genetic counselor as soon as possible to get proper treatment before being a parent of child or prevent the gene to get inherited to their child.
8. 8th of May has become a very special day for the people suffering from the thalassemia as it brings a chance for them to get diagnosed earlier. The day is dedicated to commemorate the thalassemia patients and give them a special chance to live like a normal person as well as prevent this disease to spread in the community, society, state, country and finally world.


Awareness by ISHA (International Society for Health Awareness) on “World Thalassemia Day” (May 8) can save many life. Hence kindly forward this e-awareness message worldwide at least to 1 million people.  ISHA (International Society for Health Awareness) is a movement for spreading awareness in regards to diseases / deficiencies to minimize their impact. At present we are spreading e-awareness. Shortly, we will start the movement at ground level too. Anyone can extend this movement by contributing one hour every month for awareness program and linking three people with this movement. One can email to us on isha01032017@gmail.com