2019 edition of World Thalassaemia Day (WTD)

The World Thalasseamia Day (WTD) is observed every year on May 8 to raise awareness about this ailment among people all over the world. The day is also dedicated to commemorate thalassemia patients as well as encourage those who struggle to live with the genetic disorder of the blood. The 2019 theme is “Universal access to quality thalassaemia healthcare services: Building bridges with and for patients”. Thalaseemia is a chronic blood disorder. It is a genetic disorder due to which a patient cannot make enough hemoglobin found in Red Blood Cells (RBC’s). This leads to anemia and patients also require blood transfusions every two to three weeks to survive. Thalassemias are inherited disorders passed from parents to children through genes. Each red blood cell can contain between 240 and 300 million molecules of haemoglobin. The severity of the disease depends on the mutations involved in the genes, and their interplay.