World Thalassemia Day 2020

News:World Thalassemia Day is observed on May 8th every year.

Facts:

  • It has been observed since 1994 by the Thalassemia International Federation.
  • Aim:To commemorate Thalassemia patients and to encourage those who struggle to live with the disease. 
  • Theme: The dawning of a new era for Thalassemia: Time for a global effort to make novel therapies accessible and affordable to patients.

Additional Facts:

  • Thalassemia: It is a chronic and genetic blood disorder due to which a patient’s body cannot make enough hemoglobin leading to anemia.This disease is passed from parents to children through genes and people suffering from it require blood transfusions to survive.
  • India is known as the thalassaemia capital of the world with 40 million carriers which means one in eight of thalassemia carriers live in India.