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.