Andhra Medical College launches Project to screen children from tribal areas

The disease has is a genetically transferred hemoglobinopathy, prevalent in the Agency area of Visakhapatnam. Consanguineous marriages are the most commonly implicated cause.

The mega-project is aimed at controlling thalassemia and was sanctioned to the Andhra Medical College under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram. Andhra Medical College has procured specialised diagnostic equipment with about Rs 20 lakh for this pilot project to screen children aged between five and eight years.

Dr PV Sudhakar, Andhra Medical College principal, in a candid conversation with Times of India, said, "While the pathology department will take care of screening of the kids, the community medicine department of the college will pitch in for conducting the awareness programmes. These are aimed at improving health-seeking behaviour and to accept the screening and management of thalassemia. For instance, thalassemia in the Visakhapatnam tribal areas is closely associated with consanguineous marriages. The awareness programmes will discourage consanguineous marriages."