Reduction in number of new thalassemia cases recorded at Dubai Thalassemia Centre.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, May 8, 2016:  On World Thalassemia Day, the Dubai Thalassemia Centre highlighted that it has observed a reduction in the number of new thalassemia cases that are recorded at the centre.

“In the last three years, we have not received a single new case of a baby born to a Dubai Emirati couple with Thalassemia,” said Dr Essam Dohair, Specialist Haematologist and Coordinator at Dubai Health Authority’s Thalassaemia Centre. “The cases we have received are from Emirati couples from other Emirates and expatriates living in the UAE and this number has also dropped. Therefore, the trend clearly reflects that rise in awareness levels directly results in reduction of new cases of thalassemia. Our aim is to ensure no new baby is born with the disease in the UAE and this is actually a very attainable goal.”

 In the UAE, 8.5 per cent of the population are carriers. This is one of the highest rates in the world.

Dr Dohair said that ongoing campaigns especially in schools, colleges and universities as well as the premarital screening law for genetic diseases, which introduced in 2006, are steps that have helped in the reduction of new cases of the disease. “ We believe that pre-marital screening as well as reaching out to youth and helping them understand the disease and its life-long complications has greatly helped curb the rise in number of new cases,” said Dr Dohair.

The community should be well aware of the benefits of the premarital screening and take advantage of such an opportunity to prevent future generations from getting the disease, he added.

“Couples should not opt for the screening few days prior to marriage. They should go for the screening much in advance so that if both are carriers of the gene, they should avoid getting married. It is unadvisable for both partners with thalassaemia to get married because in such cases with each pregnancy there is a 25 per cent chance that a child will be born with the disease, a 50 per cent chance the child will only be a carrier and a 25 per cent chance the child will not be affected.

However, if only one person has thalassaemia it is still okay because the baby will be a carrier but will not have thalassaemia. It’s not the best case scenario but it’s okay,” said Dohair.

Since 2007, the Centre has begun exhaustive community outreach and awareness activities educating the youth about the importance of the pre-marital law and its benefits, which has directly resulted in reducing the number of thalassaemia cases in the emirate. 

Dr Dohair said that it is advisable that students after grade 12 to get themselves tested to understand whether they are a carrier or not so that that they can take future decisions after due considerations.

To mark the occasion of World Thalassemia Day, members from the Dubai Courts visited the centre and provided gifts to Thalassaemia patients at the centre.