On the occasion of World Thalassemia Day, an awareness walk and seminar was organized under Al-Khidmat Hospital Nishtarabad Peshawar
PESHAWAR, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 8th May, 2026) On the occasion of World Thalassemia Day, an awareness walk and seminar was organized under Al-Khidmat Hospital Nishtarabad Peshawar.
The walk was led by Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan Central President, Prof. Dr. Hafeez-ur-Rehman, Provincial President Khalid Waqas, Deputy Commissioner Peshawar Captain (R) Sanaullah Khan, Provincial General Secretary Shakir Siddiqui, Dr. Naveed Sharif, Dr. Intikhab Alam and others.
Addressing the seminar, speakers said that preventive measures and full awareness in the society are very important to prevent a harmful and incurable disease like thalassemia. In this regard, the government, political parties, scholars, media and all segments of the society have to play a joint and effective role.
The speakers said that thalassemia is a hereditary disease that is transmitted from parents to children, therefore, to prevent it, it is necessary to focus on caution and awareness more than treatment.
There is no permanent cure for this disease other than bone marrow transplant, so the only effective way to stop its spread is to implement preventive measures.
They added that many countries of the world such as Italy, Greece, Egypt, Iran and Bangladesh have largely controlled this disease through effective strategies and preventive measures, although a few decades ago these countries were also among most affected by thalassemia.
The speakers stressed the need to create awareness among the public through media and religious scholars.
They said that about five thousand new thalassemia patients are increasing every year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is a worrying situation.
The speakers said that the law making thalassemia test mandatory for husband and wife before marriage was made during the MMA era, however, its effective implementation is the need of the hour.
Cousin marriage was also considered a major cause of the spread of this disease, for which it is essential to ensure pre-marital screening.
The speakers said that more than 1300 thalassemia patients from Peshawar, Charsadda and other districts are registered with Al-Khidmat Hospital Nishtarabad, who are being provided free blood and other medical facilities regularly. These patients include people from different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
At the end of the ceremony, the hospital director presented commemorative shields to the distinguished guests, while certificates were also distributed among teachers and students of various educational institutions of Peshawar for donating blood for thalassemia patients.
