Let's work together to screen for and detect Thalassemia early.

Thalassemia (congenital hemolytic anemia) is a dangerous genetic disease that severely affects the quality of the gene pool and creates a long-term burden on families and society. Importantly, most carriers of the disease gene show no unusual symptoms, leading to complacency and often only discovering the disease when their children are born with severe cases. Given the high number of carriers in Vietnam, promoting screening and early detection is becoming a fundamental solution to reduce the number of children born with the disease and improve the quality of the population.

At the Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center of Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital, there are regularly 50-60 thalassemia patients receiving treatment.

The burden known as "thalassemia"

According to medical experts, thalassemia is a genetic disease caused by gene abnormalities that lead to chronic anemia and iron overload in the body. Patients require lifelong treatment with regular blood transfusions combined with iron chelation therapy. If left untreated, the disease can lead to many dangerous complications such as heart failure, liver failure, bone deformities, stunted growth, and reduced life expectancy.

Currently, Vietnam has approximately 13 million people carrying the thalassemia gene, equivalent to about 13% of the population. Each year, more than 8,000 children are born with the disease, of which about 2,000 have a severe form requiring lifelong treatment.

In particular, the percentage of people carrying the disease gene in ethnic minority and mountainous areas ranges from 20-40%. Behind these figures are hundreds of families struggling to support their children on a long journey of blood transfusions lasting many years.

At the Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center of Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital, the sight of child patients clinging to IV needles and hospital beds has become familiar to the medical staff. Some children regularly come to the hospital for a week each month for blood transfusions to sustain their lives. The majority of patients being treated at the center are from rural areas, remote regions, and belong to poor or near-poor households or ethnic minorities. Many families have two or three members suffering from the disease, their lives depending entirely on a few acres of farmland or freelance work with unstable income.

Vietnam has approximately 13 million people carrying the gene for thalassemia, equivalent to about 13% of the population.

Each year, more than 8,000 children are born with the disease, of which about 2,000 have a severe form requiring lifelong treatment.

A typical example is the case of siblings Nguyen Phuong Nhi and Nguyen Huu Duc from Cam Thach commune, both suffering from thalassemia since childhood. Their father abandoned them, leaving their mother to raise three children alone, the youngest of whom is disabled and unable to walk. Every month, their maternal grandfather takes the two children for blood transfusions, while their mother takes the youngest for rehabilitation treatment. The family lacks a stable income, and their lives are extremely difficult.

For example, the family of brothers Le Tuan Anh and Le Tuan Em in Linh Son commune both discovered they had the disease when they were only 6 months old. Their parents are farmers, and for many years they have had to take their children to the hospital for regular treatment, constantly struggling financially .

These stories show that thalassemia is not only a medical burden but also has many social consequences, profoundly affecting the quality of life of patients and their families. Besides economic difficulties, patients also suffer from prolonged psychological pressure. The lifelong treatment process causes many patients to constantly worry, feel stressed, and even lose faith in the future.

Officials from the Muong Lat Health Center are conducting awareness campaigns about Thalassemia in Tam Chung commune.

Let's work together to screen and detect early to prevent the disease at its root.

In Thanh Hoa province, communication and screening efforts for thalassemia are being implemented synchronously by the health sector from the provincial level to the grassroots. The communication focuses on raising awareness about the risks of the disease, the consequences of consanguineous marriage, the role of pre-marital health check-ups, and prenatal and neonatal screening.

In response to World Thalassemia Day on May 8, 2026, the Thanh Hoa health sector has chosen the theme: "Joining hands to screen for and detect Thalassemia early, leaving no one behind." This message is being strongly disseminated in localities, health facilities, schools, and communities to raise public awareness about this dangerous but completely preventable genetic disease.

In many localities throughout the province, diverse communication activities are organized in various forms such as seminars, conferences, group consultations, public address systems, social media, and other mass media to bring knowledge about the disease closer to the people, especially young people of marriageable age.

Thalassemia is an incurable disease, but it is entirely preventable through early counseling and screening.

Mr. Bui Hong Thuy, Head of the Thanh Hoa Population and Family Planning Department

Mr. Bui Hong Thuy, Head of the Thanh Hoa Population and Family Planning Department, said: “Currently, many people, especially in mountainous and remote areas, still do not fully understand thalassemia. Some are hesitant to undergo screening tests or are unaware of the long-term consequences of the disease. Therefore, delivering information to the grassroots level, to each village and each target group, is being given special attention.”

Thalassemia is an incurable disease, but it is effectively preventable through early counseling and screening. We believe that raising awareness through communication is the most important solution to encourage people to proactively participate in pre-marital health checkups and genetic screening, thereby reducing the number of children born with severe forms of the disease."

Support activities for thalassemia patients in difficult circumstances are receiving attention.

Alongside disease prevention efforts, treatment and patient care at the Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center of Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital have also been continuously improved. The center maintains regular blood transfusions, iron chelation therapy, complication monitoring, and genetic counseling for patients; it also connects with many organizations and philanthropists to support patients in difficult circumstances.

Diagnosed with the disease in 2013, Ms. Ha Thi Giang from Tam Lu commune regularly receives hospital treatment for one week each month.

Ms. Ha Thi Giang from Tam Lu commune shared: “In 2013, after giving birth to my first child, I discovered I had the disease. Since then, my health has gradually deteriorated, and I can no longer do heavy work. All the economic burden falls on my husband. Every month, I go to the Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center at Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital for nearly a week to receive blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy. During the treatment process, the doctors and nurses are always dedicated to encouraging and supporting me, which gives me more strength to try to overcome the disease.”

According to Dr. Nguyen Huy Thach, Director of the Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center at Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital, the number of thalassemia patients treated at the center is increasing year by year. Many patients require lifelong treatment and are entirely dependent on regular blood transfusions. This places significant pressure on treatment and the demand for safe blood supplies.

"The good news is that people's awareness of the disease has improved. More and more couples are proactively getting pre-marital health checkups and genetic screening tests. However, effectively controlling Thalassemia requires the concerted efforts of the entire society, especially by strengthening screening among young people before marriage," Dr. Thach shared.

Women from ethnic minority groups seek information about Thalassemia.

According to health experts, carriers of the disease gene often show no obvious symptoms, so it can only be detected through blood tests. Therefore, proactive health checkups before marriage and before pregnancy are especially important. If both husband and wife carry the disease gene, the risk of having a child with severe thalassemia is very high. In cases of early detection, doctors will provide genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis to help couples make appropriate choices and reduce the risk of having a child with the disease.

To ensure the sustainable effectiveness of thalassemia prevention and control efforts, it is necessary to continue expanding the counseling and screening network to the grassroots level; strengthen communication in schools and residential areas; and support people in accessing testing services at affordable costs. In addition, it is essential to mobilize the participation of community organizations and influential individuals to change perceptions and eliminate the reluctance to undergo genetic testing for the disease.

“Preventing thalassemia is the responsibility of every individual, family, and society as a whole”; “Actively participate in thalassemia prevention for the quality of the gene pool and the future of the country” – these messages from the population sector continue to spread strongly in the community. Leaving no one behind in the journey of community health care, joining hands in screening for early thalassemia detection today is an investment in the healthy future of generations to come; contributing to reducing the burden of disease, improving the quality of the population, and moving towards a healthy, sustainably developing community.

To Ha

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/chung-tay-sang-loc-phat-hien-som-thalassemia-287006.htm