The Crime Desk: Two-year-old Abdullah Afrad. Lying silently on a bed at the Thalassemia Foundation Hospital, blood is being given to his body. Little Afrad’s body is pierced by multiple needles every month. Only then will the child stay well and survive. And the child’s parents are watching this scene closely. The process of taking blood has started since he was one year old. The child’s father, Md. Amjad Hossain, and mother, Suborna Faraji, said that no doctor told them anything about this before marriage. The victim’s guardian said that it is important to determine the carrier through screening at the school level; then no parent will have to watch this painful scene of their child again.
There is no more excitement like that of ten teenage girls in the life of 17-year-old Tajima Hossain Sinjima. She is much weaker than other normal teenagers. She has to survive on other people’s blood every month. On Tuesday afternoon, Sinjima was talked to in bed at the hospital; they said that they traveled a long way from Jhenaidah in the southern district to the Thalassemia Foundation Hospital in the capital. They are allocated some money for that hospital, and they also have free accommodation and food. They said that after taking blood, they get medicine to remove the excess iron that accumulates in the body for free.
Not only Afrad and Sinjina; there are 60 to 70 thousand such thalassemia patients in the country. Who have to survive depending on the blood of others every month. In Bangladesh, 11.4 percent are carriers of this disease, which is about 20 million. And only children born through the marriage of these carriers with carriers are affected by thalassemia. Thus, more than 6 thousand thalassemia-affected children are born in the country every year. Experts concerned said that extensive state campaigns and sponsorships are needed to make these large numbers of carriers aware.
Blood cancer specialist and associate professor at Mugda Medical College and Hospital Dr. Jannatul Ferdous, citing the patient statistics of the Bangladesh Thalassemia Foundation, said that in 2018, there were 2,725 patients in this hospital. In 2019, there were 3,098; in 2020, 3,416; in 2021, 4,941; in 2022, 6,055; in 2023, there were 7,022; and in 2024, there were 7,511 thalassemia patients. Every year, 6,000 to 7,000 children are born with thalassemia.
Citing the data of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), he said that 11.4 percent of people in Bangladesh are carriers of thalassemia disease. In 2014-15, 7 to 8 percent of people in Bangladesh were carriers of thalassemia disease. Quoting the World Thalassemia Foundation, he said that there are 60 to 70 thousand thalassemia patients in the country. The monthly medical expenses for a patient are at least 13 thousand taka.
Bangladesh Thalassemia Foundation Vice Chairman Professor Dr. Syeda Masuma Rahman told Media, “There is no treatment for this disease in government hospitals. Out of a desire to do something for these patients, I took the initiative to provide personal treatment to patients through the Thalassemia Foundation in 2002.” She said, “It is not possible to prevent this disease without awareness.”
Hematology experts said that thalassemia is a hereditary blood disease. Human cells have two genes for producing blood. If a person has a defect in one of the blood-producing genes, he is called a thalassemia carrier. If there is a defect in both genes, he is called a thalassemia patient. Not all carriers become patients. Thalassemia disease is diagnosed within one to two years of birth. The symptoms of this disease are paleness, weakness, frequent infections, failure of the child to gain weight, jaundice, irritable mood, etc.
It was further informed that thalassemia is preventable. If both husband and wife are carriers of thalassemia, then the child can get this disease. But if one of the husband and wife is a carrier and the other is healthy, then this disease will never happen. Therefore, everyone needs to know whether the future husband or wife is a carrier of thalassemia or not before marriage.
In this situation, World Thalassemia Day 2025 will be celebrated today, May 8. This day is being celebrated worldwide every year to increase awareness about thalassemia disease and its cure. This year, the theme of the day has been set: ‘Let’s build social unity for thalassemia and ensure patient priority.’
On the occasion of the day, Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus gave a message. In the message, he said, Thalassemia is a hereditary anemia-related incurable disease. The number of carriers of this disease in Bangladesh is high. If both husband and wife are thalassemia gene carriers, there is a risk of the child becoming a thalassemia patient. Therefore, it is important to know whether both men and women are carriers of this disease before marriage. I believe that observing World Thalassemia Day can play a significant role in raising public awareness in this regard. I urge all government and non-government institutions and organizations, media, guardians, and conscious civil society in the country to come forward to prevent the incurable disease thalassemia.
