By Lawrence Faulkner
The conference was interesting but without anything substantially new. The Congress was organized by the Thalassemia International Federation (TIF) in Delhi, 31st October - 1st November 2009. Supportive care with regular transfusions and appropriate medical follow-up have the potential to extend life expectancy in thalassemic patients to over 50 years.
However, in developing countries the main problem remains, access to adequate care and with the cost of drugs well above the average income, then in fact, the majority of patients with thalassemia still do not exceed 20 years of age.
Even with regard to gene therapy, although significant progress has been made, this will not be routinely available for at least another decade. There is a unanimous consensus on the absolute necessity of effective screening programs and prevention.
#1 by Dr.Ch.Md.Haider Ali - November 8th, 2009 at 07:03
Dear Sir,
I am highly excited after knowing that you are going to start Bone Marrow Transplantation Centre in Bangladesh with the cooperation of Grameen Bank for treatment of Thalassemia. As the Seretary General of Bangladesh Society of Human Genetics I still think “Prevention” is the only way to combat thalassemia and for that I want to give my effort if you need anytime.
Sorry for taking your valuable time.
#2 by Vijay - November 21st, 2009 at 11:26
Dear Sir,
I am glad to know that your team is doing such a great and honorable service to children suffering from Thalassaemia, in fact, I too have a lot of vision for THALASSAEMIC CHILDREN. Presently i have a case of a poor child “AAMIR HUSSAIN ” from India - Dhanbad who needs to undergo BONE MARROW transfusion immediately , can you help him, Please reply as the case is becoming critical and the patient parents do not have funds for the same. Please help him.
Regards
Vijay