Background

Every year around 8000 to 9000 major Thalassaemia cases are reported across the country while, after every two-hour a new-born with major Thalassaemia is reported world wide. In Pakistan 90,000 to 100,000 children are reportedly carriers of the disease.
Due to lack of facilities in public sector health centers the situation is grim in Pakistan with passage of each single day.

Although some social societies and philanthropists are engaged in fighting against the disease but due to scarcity of resources they are facing tremendous difficulties in meeting out the required facilities. The Frontier province is the worse hit area of the blood diseases but lack of facilities in government run institutions complicated the situation. Frontier Foundation Welfare Hospital and Blood Transfusion Center, which was established on 30th March 2004 and also have a branch in Kohat is providing services to the patients of fatal disease on 100% charitable basis even food is also provided to the patient and attendant with out any charges. Presently, the foundation is providing blood to more than 1422- registered and unregistered patients of the deadly diseases of Thalassaemia and Hemophilia, majority of patients are destitute and poor and facing numerous difficulties. It is worth mentioning that during the blood screening 272 cases of hepatitis and 4 cases of HIV/AIDS were also reported. Generous contribution of charity donors, individuals is the sole resource of the foundation but financial crunch of the foundation was the main hindrance for extending facilities to the poor and destitute segments of the society. The foundation are also providing free of cost screened blood to the patients of government run hospital in emergency cases on the request of concern doctors and other needy people. It has also launched a comprehensive campaign for awareness among the general masses and arranging seminars, rallies and walks in this regard across the province. Social societies are engaged in struggle against these killing diseases. Media campaign against the deadly disease can also contribute to the efforts of social societies and the government must extend fiscal support for this purpose.

Provincial government has the capacity assistance these institutions how are providing services to the vulnerable community. The diseases have its roots in FATA, Northern districts of NWFP and the rural areas of Balochistan, Sindh and some parts of Punjab as traditional values still existing. The provincial government has also promised for establishment of committee to coordinate with the social societies engaged in struggle against various diseases but so for the committee has not initiated its effort. The reality is that majority of social societies are engaged on self-help basis and providing blood and other facilities to the needy and helpless victim of the illness round the clock. It is also responsibility of general masses to adopt precautionary measures before entering into matrimonial relation and chose their life partner after consulting health expertise and conduct HB electrophoresis tests, as the diseases are not curable but preventable and we can only save our offspring by adopting the preventive associations.