Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam is marking International Thalassemia Dayon May 8 with a message calling on people to conduct pre-marriage counselling andhealth check-ups for their own happiness and the country’s prosperity, theGeneral Office for Population and Family Planning said on April 12.

This year’s International Thalassemia Day, themed “Addressing HealthInequalities Across the Global Thalassemia Community”, is devoted to raisingpublic awareness about Thalassemia and one of the major causes in the spread ofthe disease - cousin marriages, as well as the importance of pre-marriage andpre-pregnancy counselling and screenings to early detect the disease.

Data shows that there are about 8,000 new-borns carrying the Thalassemiagene every year, around 2,000 of which will suffer from severe symptoms.

Some 13 million Vietnamese, or 13 percent of the population, carry thegene. About 20-40 percent of the Thalassemia gene carriers are mountainous ethnic minority people,mainly due to inbreeding.

According to the General Office for Population and Family Planning,despite many efforts, treatment can only help improve patients’quality of life and does not completely cure the disease.

A report shows that since 2001, up to 20 percent of children born with Thalassemiadied at the age of 6-7 and most people with severe symptoms cannot find aspouse.

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder caused when the body doesn’tmake enough haemoglobin - an important part of red blood cells. The disorderresults in excessive destruction of red blood cells, which leads to anaemia.

People with severe symptoms may suffer from bone problems and liver andheart failure, and the condition can be fatal.

A child can inherit Thalassemia if one or both of his or her parentscarry the mutant gene. The risk is higher if both parents have it.

Most married Vietnamese couples do not have any tests or consultancy on inheriteddisorders. People who carry such genes show no abnormal signs so do not undergoexaminations or screening before giving birth.

Huge investment in medicine and regular blood transfusions makeThalassemia a costly disease, placing a financial burden on families andsociety as a whole.

It is estimated that 2 trillion VND (85.1 million USD) and 500,000 bloodunits are needed each year to treat Thalassemia patients in Vietnam. Theaverage treatment cost for a severe case from birth to the age of 30 is about 3billion VND (130,000 USD)./.