2.1% of Turkish residents are carriers of this disease.

SHAFAQNA Türkiye – Hereditary blood diseases, especially thalassemia and sickle cell anemia, are regarded as an important public health problem in Turkey and around the world, according to information received by the AA correspondent from the General Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of World Thalassemia on May 8. Day.

Because of its frequent occurrence in the Mediterranean countries.mediterranean anemiaThe most serious form of the disease, also known as “beta thalassemia“forms.

In Turkey “beta thalassemia“The carrier frequency averages 2.1%, but this figure can vary from 0.6% to 13% depending on regions.

The carrier of the disease thalassemia is recognized by blood tests. In addition, many carriers are not aware that they are sick until their children are born.

Ministry of Health in Turkey’s 81 provinces to identify people with the disease and provide genetic counseling support when they plan to have children.Premarital Hemoglobinopathy Screening Program“He makes it happen.

The program offers counseling services to spouse candidates who visit family physicians for a pre-marital health report and then screening tests by taking blood samples from the male spouse.

If the spouse candidate is a carrier or is suspected of having hemoglobinopathies, a screening test is also performed on the spouse candidate.

In cases where both the mother and the future father are carriers, there is a high risk of developing thalassemia in the born child.

Thanks to the scan, couples with thalassemia have the opportunity to learn about it in advance and receive the medical support they need to ensure that their children are born healthy.

Couples in this situation can benefit from genetic counseling by going to government-supported centers and can have a healthy baby with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) whenever they want.