World Thalassaemia Day is celebrated on May 8th every year in order to raise awareness of the disease around the world.
Thalassaemia is the umbrella name for a group of inherited conditions that affect haemoglobin. People with the condition produce too little haemoglobin or none at all, which can result in severe anaemia.
Thalassaemia, along with sickle cell, can be screened for during pregnancy. If both parents are carriers of the disease it increases the chance of their child having the condition. It most commonly affects people of a Mediterranean, South Asian, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern origin.
The main treatments for thalassaemia are regular blood transfusions to treat anaemia and chelation therapy, which is used to counteract the build up of excess iron in the blood caused by frequent transfusions.
The goal of the South Thames Network is to improve the experience of people living with thalassaemia by offering better treatment outcomes. We do this in a number of ways by supporting both patients and healthcare professionals, providing education, and offering services within hospitals and the community.
For patients:
For healthcare professionals: