KUCHING: Some 80 students attended a forum on Thalassaemia genetic disorder in the first “EduVariom” awareness campaign in Sarawak at SMK Batu Lintang here, yesterday.
The forum was officially launched by Unimas Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, medical lecturer Dr Muhammad Hamdi Mahmood who represented Unimas deputy vice-counsellor (student affairs) Professor Datuk Fadzil Abdul Rahman.
Also present were Dr Nik Nurliza Nik Hassan of University Science Malaysia (USM) who represented patron of Malaysian Node of the Human Variome Project (MyHVP) Professor Dr Zulfalil Alwi.
The four speakers were a teacher of SMK Batu Lintang Sarmandi Nawi as moderator, Dr Ainul Nadiah Salam of Sarawak General Hospital, a panel member, Pastor Ambrose Liap of the Anglican Church and Ustaz Abdul Rahim Othman of Institut Kemahiran Islam Malaysia Sarawak.
The forum discussed about the life of a patient diagnosed with genetic disorder who wants to get married. It was also to educate the public on the importance of Thalassaemia screening before marriage.
Thalassaemia is an inherited genetic disorder affecting the production of red blood cells. It is classified as alpha and beta where beta thalassaemia is the commonest form of thalassaemia.
Thalassaemia can be detected through a simple blood test. Only Thalassaemia majors require treatment to prevent anaemia and complications.
Although in recent development, it is non-fatal but patient diagnosed with thalassaemia may require a regular lifelong blood transfusion to maintain the haemoglobin blood level.
Based on statistics by the Sarawak Thalassaemia Society, Malaysia has around five per cent of the population as healthy carriers of the beta thalassaemia gene.
Also present were Sarawak Thalassaemia Society (STC) assistant secretary, Fazalena Johari, STC committee members Willy Vong Nam Khiun and Lai Chung Hung, and staff members of Kuching Specialist Hospital, USM, Kolej Kasturi, APEX and MyHVP.
