ARKIB : 08/05/2010

 

Remaja lelaki perlu lebih berani jalani ujian talasemia

KUALA LUMPUR 8 Mei - Golongan remaja terutama lelaki diminta tampil menjalani ujian saringan talasemia iaitu penyakit keturunan yang berpunca daripada kurangnya protein globin yang menjadi komponen hemoglobin dalam darah.

Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai berkata, kesedaran mereka mengenai penyakit itu masih rendah di mana hanya 20 peratus yang tampil melakukan ujian daripada keseluruhan 206,390 orang yang melakukan ujian saringan tahun lepas.

"Pada 2008, jumlah penduduk yang telah menjalani ujian talasemia adalah seramai 29,326 orang dan meningkat kepada 206,390 pada tahun lepas di mana daripada jumlah itu kita dapati hanya 20 peratus sahaja adalah dari kalangan lelaki.

"Jadi, di kesempatan ini saya menyeru remaja lelaki supaya tampil untuk menjalani ujian talasemia dan berharap cabaran ini dapat disahut demi membuktikan mereka adalah prihatin,” katanya dalam teks ucapannya yang dibacakan oleh Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan, Datuk Dr. Hasan Abdul Rahman pada perasmian sambutan Hari Talasemia Antarabangsa 2010 peringkat kebangsaan di sini hari ini.

Tiong Lai berkata, peringkat umur remaja dan awal dewasa adalah masa paling sesuai untuk menjalani ujian itu kerana intervensi kaunseling yang dijalankan pada usia tersebut adalah lebih berkesan.

Beliau berkata, program pencegahan talasemia melalui saringan penduduk boleh dilakukan di beberapa hospital terpilih khususnya hospital yang menyediakan rawatan pesakit talasemia disamping di 345 klinik kesihatan seluruh negara yang dilengkapkan dengan peralatan makmal bagi membolehkan saringan pembawa gen talasemia dijalankan.

Mengikut rekod Daftar Talasemia Kebangsaan, sebanyak 4,768 pesakit talasemia berdaftar sehingga kini berbanding kira-kira 2,500 orang pada 2004.

Katanya lagi, sekurang-kurangnya seorang daripada 20 rakyat negara ini merupakan pembawa talasemia atau kira-kira 600,000 dalam satu juta penduduk. - Bernama

© UTUSAN MELAYU (M) BERHAD, 46M, Jalan Lima Off Jalan Chan Sow Lin, 55200 Kuala Lumpur.

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29 Julai, 2009 16:29 PM

Go Blood Screening For Thalassaemia, Urges TAM

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- The Thalassaemia Association of Malaysia (TAM) is urging members of the public to go for screening to determine their health status on this inherited blood disorder.

TAM president Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail said this was a crucial preventive step that could save their children from being Thalassaemia patients.

Besides bone marrow transplant, there is no cure as yet for Thalassaemia.

"That is why it is important for people, especially those who are getting married, to go for Thalassaemia screening, because it is the only other way that we can prevent it from spreading and getting worse," he said at a news conference on the inaugural Thalassaemia Awareness Day here Wednesday.

Thalassaemia is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease, while Thalassaemia major is a disorder where patients cannot make enough haemoglobin because their bone marrow cannot produce enough red blood cells.

Dr Zulkifli said if that both parents were Thalassaemia trait carriers, there was a 25 per cent chance that their children would be born a thalassaemia major, which would require them to undergo monthly blood transfusion to survive, and a 50 per cent chance that they would be carrier of the trait.

He said that based on statistics, at least one out of 20 Malaysians was a Thalassaemia carrier, or approximately 600,000 to one million of the population.

He said the Health Ministry's registry showed that there were some 4,385 Thalassaemia patients are now undergoing monthly blood transfusion, while the number could reach 5,000 by year end.

"This is a startling figure. We hoped that through the event, Malaysians will wake up and take notice of this disorder. We want to get them to do something serious about it, that is to get their blood screened for Thalassaemia," he said.

Thalassaemia Awareness Day 2009 will be held on Aug 9 at Berjaya Times Square from 10am to 8pm.

There will be many activities planned for the day such as blood screening, blood donation campaign and informative games to raise awareness among members of the public on Thalassaemia.

© 2010 BERNAMA. Semua Hak Cipta Terpelihara.

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