Thalassaemia Awareness Drive - OSF, KASBIT hold candlelit ceremony at KPC

MN Report

KARACHI- Omair Sana Foundation (OSF) in collaboration with Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari Institute of Technology (KASBIT) organized candlelit ceremony at Karachi Press Club (KPC) and a walk on Sharea Faisal to create awareness about dreaded disorder of thalassaemia. 

Both the events which were part of 15-day thalassaemia awareness campaign were organized to mark the `World Thalassaemia Day’. Children suffering from thalassaemia, parents, students, doctors, journalists and other members of civil society participated in a large number.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Saqib Ansari, who led the candlelit ceremony, said that awareness is vital for bringing an end to thalassaemia from our society.

Earlier, a number of students and teachers participated in a walk arranged on Sharea Faisal.

They were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans such as “test before marriage”, “implement law and volunteer blood donation. KASBIT’s director Prof Mohammad Raees Alvi led the walk whose participants included Obaid Hashmi, Prof Karamat Shah, Dr Syed Rahat Hussain and others.

Later, talking to the audience at KPC, Dr Ansari said that OSF was struggling for the eradication and prevention of thalassaemia for the last 10 years.

“We believe that with the participation of all stakeholders, the dream of thalassaemia-free Pakistan can be achieved,” he added.

He deplored that although a Thalassaemia Prevention Bill has been adopted last year, it was not being implemented even after a year.

“Thalassaemia is aggravating with each passing day and the current prevalence of the disorder is approximately 100,000 and 5,000 new incidences occur annually,” he added.
At the outset, he emphasized the need for pre-marriage thalassaemia test which, he added, is quite simple.

The OSF also organized a thalassaemia screening camp for journalists and their families at the KPC.

KPC health committee’s secretary Hamid-ur-Rehman, OSF’s joint secretary Dr Ubaid Hashmi, Dr Rahat Hussain, Nazir-ul-Hassan, Muhammad Akbar, Arshad Aslam were present on the occasion.