Young men and women of marriageable age should undergo a Full Blood Count test before marriage to determine whether they are carriers of the blood disorder, thalassemia, Consultant Dr. Champika Wickramasinghe said.
The Deputy Director General of Health Services (Non-Communicable Diseases) stated that if thalassemia carriers avoid marrying other carriers, the disease can be completely eradicated from Sri Lanka.
She further stressed the importance of paying serious attention to thalassemia and highlighted that prevention should be the first and foremost priority.
Explaining that thalassemia is a genetically transmitted disease caused by a carrier condition, she said that 10% of the Sri Lankan population carries the gene.
Champika Wickramasinghe also revealed that currently, there are nearly 2,000 thalassemia patients in Sri Lanka.
15% of the national health budget is allocated annually for their treatment, with over Rs. 10 million spent per patient per year. For bone marrow transplant surgeries, the cost per patient exceeds Rs. 40 million, she revealed.
More than 100 thalassemia patients have been reported from regions such as Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Ampara, and Batticaloa. Each year, approximately 60 children are born in Sri Lanka with thalassemia.
She made the remarks while participating in the National Commemoration Ceremony organized in line with World Thalassemia Day, which was held in Kurunegala recently. The event was organized by the Lanka Thalassaemia Organization (LTO).
World Thalassemia Day is observed annually on May 8th. Doctors explain that thalassemia is a medical condition caused by a genetic mutation that disrupts haemoglobin production.
Each year, the day is commemorated under a timely theme. For 2025, the theme is: “Join the Fight Against Thalassemia: Uniting Communities, Prioritizing Patients.” (Newswire)