Mass Screening Urged for Thalassaemia, Sickle Cell Anaemia in Konduru
The call was made during an awareness programme and free blood testing medical camp organised jointly by the Public Health Forum and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics on Sunday
Vijayawada: Health experts have called for mass screening in Konduru mandal of Krishna district to detect thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia, stressing that early diagnosis through comprehensive blood testing is key to reducing disease transmission.
The call was made during an awareness programme and free blood testing medical camp organised jointly by the Public Health Forum and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics on Sunday. Hundreds of residents from villages across the mandal participated in the programme.
Addressing the gathering, Dr V. Sridevi said both thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia are genetic disorders. She explained that thalassaemia results from inherited genetic mutations that affect red blood cell production, leading to chronic anaemia. In sickle cell anaemia, she said, red blood cells assume a sickle shape, restricting blood flow and causing pain, weakness and, in severe cases, stroke.
She noted that if both parents carry the defective gene, there is a high risk of the child developing the disease. Dr Sridevi emphasised that screening tests such as HPLC conducted for pregnant women between 14 and 16 weeks of gestation can help determine the likelihood of the child being affected.
Dr K.V.S. Sai Prasad, state honorary president of Praja Arogya Vedika, cautioned against self-medication with iron supplements without medical advice after detecting anaemia, warning that excess iron could accumulate in the body and cause complications.
Presiding over the programme, G. Vijay Prakash, general secretary of Praja Arogya Vedika, NTR district, said the organisation has been working on kidney disease awareness in Konduru for the past seven years and will now focus on thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia with equal commitment.