8,042 thalassaemia sufferers, carriers as of December 2018

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) -- The number of Malaysians diagnosed as sufferers or carriers of thalassaemia is 8,042 as of last December.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said based on the Malaysian Thalassaemia Report, published for the first time, the condition of more than 5,000 of them were already at a critical level necessitating periodic blood transfusion.

"In the Malaysian context, one in every citizen is a genetic carrier. The ratio is rather high and serious..but at the same time, the survival rate of thalassaemia patients has improved.

“This is a positive indication, showing the effectiveness of our medical treatment,” he said at the National Thalassaemia Day 2019 media conference here today.

He said treatment and the latest technology had proven to prolong the life of the patients to more than 40 years. 

Dr Dzulkefly said the government needed to spend RM3 million for each patient on treatment costs which is also rising.

He said statistics of the genetic blood disorder could potentially be controlled if the people undergo thalassaemia screening to know their status, and avoid a marriage between two carriers.

-- BERNAMA